Speech #980217697

I come from a State that because of its location. is particulary susceptible to whatever decision the House makes today on the serious issue of legalization. I firmly believe that to grant amnesty to those who have resided here illegally before January 1. 1982. would be a tragedy. Such a decision flies in the face of those who have waited for years to immigrate to this country legally. And it will make a mockery out of our immigration policy. If the House retains the blanket amnesty provision now in the bill. I would have to say to those who are waiting to immigrate to this country through legal channels. "Sorry. you lose. you should have sneaked through the borders. falsified your papers. and kept a low profile." Mr. Chairman. there are many aliens who have made investments in this country and who have obeyed our immigration laws. While they are waiting to be granted permanent resident status under the present quota system. these people come to this country each year on their visitors visa and then return to their homeland when their visas expire. To grant amnesty to others whose visas have expired or who never had visas. but they managed to stay in this country and avoid detection. is a slap in the face to those who have carefully obeyed our immigration laws. And what do you think will happen if we grant this blanket amnesty? The same thing we saw happen during the Mariel boatlift. You and I know that INS is already so overworked and understaffed that there is no way this agency can process all of the millions of new applicants under this billeven with the support of volunteer organizations. Those aliens who have carefully followed our immigration laws and who now have paperwork in the mill will suffer. INS will turn its attention to those massive numbers of new applicants under the amnesty provision and put the other work now in process on the back burner. Mr. Chairman. every day caseworkers in my district offices receive calls from illegals asking for information. The common question being. of course. "How soon do you think it will take them to catch up with me?" Clearly there are illegals waiting and hoping that Congress will be deceived into thinking that we can only resolve the problem we have with millions of illegal aliens here in this country by granting them amnesty. And believe me these illegal aliens know our immigration laws better than we do. They know how to work the system so to speak. Once here they find sympathetic community groups such as churches and local volunteer organizations.