Speech #980210738

I commend the leadership for finally allowing this important legislation to be debated on the House floor. The other body has already passed similar legislation twice and it is clearly time for this House to act as well. This is the first major overhaul of our immigration laws since the early 1950s. During the past two decades. immigration has increased to the point where we have lost virtually all control over our borders. Estimates of illegal aliens residing in the country range from 3.5 million to as many as 6 million according to the Census Bureau. Many immigration experts believe that the number of illegals in the United States is much higherover 20.000.000. The fact is. however. that no one knows for sure how many illegals are now in the country. Furthermore. beside the millions who may be entering the country illegally each year. over 600.000 immigrants are being legally admitted to the country. Unless we bring some control to overall immigration levels. the social and economic consequences for all Americans will be severe. The Immigration Reform and Control Act contains some very important reforms of our Nations immigration policy which promise to address these serious problems. However. the many positive aspects of the bill are. in my view. undermined by the disastrous legalization. or amnesty. provisions. Under the bill. legal status would be granted to all illegal aliens who have resided in the United States prior to A legalization program as farreaching and unprecedented as the mass amnesty envisioned under H.R. 1510 is a leap in the dark which I believe would be the most irresponsible action we could take if we ever hope to regain control of our borders. First. there is the obvious unfairness to those who have patiently sought entry into the country through proper. legal channels. Many have waited as long as a decade. Second. rather than freeing up resources to deal with our immigration problem. I believe amnesty would actually encourage millions of others to abandon legal channels or simply immigrate illegally in the hope of benefiting from some future amnesty plan. And that is precisely the signal the committee is sending by not standing by its original to generous cutoff dates of January 1. 1980. for permanent resident status and January 1. 1977. for temporary resident status that it proposed in the last Congress. Furthermore. while the legislation precludes applicants from receiving Federal benefits for 5 yearswith exceptions for the aged. the blind and disabledcosts after that initial period would be substantial.