Speech #980219586

Realism dictates that we should bring these alien field workers under some kind of Government control so that we can assure that their health. safety. and economic wellbeing are considered. I also support the amnesty provisions the legislation now contains. The presence of a large class of undocumented aliens threatens the entire social order. It has a significant negative effect on wages. working conditions. and consumer prices. Society is harmed every time an undocumented alien is afraid to testify as a witness in a legal proceeding. to report an illness which might constitute a public health hazard. or to disclose violations of U.S. labor laws. Mass deportation would most likely lead to massive violations of the civil rights of Hispanic Americans. and it would be prohibitively costly and beyond the limited resources of the INS. In addition. families would be routinely divided. since many undocumented persons have close U.S. citizen relatives. including children born in this country. The legalization of a significant portion of the undocumented population would enable us to better manage our immigration problems. The INS is currently devoting a substantial portion of its limited resources to its continuing attempt to deport people who are joining the mainstream of American society. Legalization will allow us to allocate those resources to border enforcement. in order to prevent new undocumented entrants. and to regular immigration services. such as the processing of visa and naturalization petitions. I supported the changes in the amnesty program that were offered by the distinguished majority leader. Mr. WRIGHT. because I felt that they provided reasonable standards for screening these undocumented aliens and for providing that they begin the process of assimilating fully into American society. While I believe that a successful legalization must include as many undocumented aliens as possible. it is not unreasonable to require that they begin to learn the English language and acquire some appreciation of American history before they are granted permanent resident status. In conclusion. I want to reaffirm my commitment to the view that we must change the current immigration laws. We have lost control of our borders. and the undocumented aliens filling the lower rungs of our economic ladder have been subjected to widespread abuse and exploitation. due to their vulnerable legal status. This situation cannot continue. H.R. 1510 is far from being a perfect piece of legislation. but I believe it is a place to begin dealing with the most difficult human rights issue facing our country.