Speech #980219593

Mr. Chairman. at this time I would like to state for the record my position on H.R. 1510. the Immigration Reform and Control Act. The United States faces a deep dilemma. that of balancing our roles as a refuge from oppression and an island of hope on the one hand. and our role of insuring every citizen the opportunity to prosper on the other. Were our resources and opportunities unlimited. we would have no dilemma. Since this is not the case. the Congress must control increases in illegal immigration that rob our citizens of opportunitiesparticularly the jobsthat they deserve. After listening to all sides of this issue. I can come to no other conclusion than that H.R. 1510 deserves to be supported. Controlled immigration itself is a positive thing for it enriches both the newcomer and his adopted homeland. We should not forget that much of our scientific and technological leadership. including the developments in nuclear physics and the atom bomb in World War II. has been based on the contribution of immigrants. But when immigration goes unchecked and large. unrecordable numbers enter the United States illegally. the benefits quickly turn to liabilities and enrichment becomes detriment. We need a concentrated effort to prevent future disruption of our society by uncontrolled immigration. The provision of this bill making it illegal for domestic employers to knowingly hire illegal immigrants is the necessary cornerstone of any solution to the problem that so many from around the world want to come to the United States. Since most illegal immigrants come looking for work. employers are in the best position to serve as guardians of immigration laws by refusing to hire illegal aliens. In my view. it is their responsibility to do so. it is only fair that penalties be levied when employers disregard their legal duty. The measures required to implement employer sanctions are simple and. in and of themselves. should not promote discrimination. But we must recognize that many particularly sensitive to civil liberties fear the employer sanctions will be used to discriminate against individual job applicants of minority descent even though they are legal residents. In my view. there is no way around this concern. We simply must choose between putting systemwide barriers to the present incentive illegal immigrants have to come to the United States for work. or not. Federal law prohibiting discrimination in employment on the basis of national origin should help work against this problem. But forced to choose. we should side with employer sanctions in view of the seriousness of large scale illegal immigration. Most important. the bill does not seek retribution for past cases of illegal entry. In an attempt to minimize disruption. amnesty. and a temporary residency status will be afforded those who entered the United States prior to January 1982 in recognition that those who now have a life here should not be uprooted and returned to lands of often desperate circumstances. Finding an approach to illegal immigration that a majority of the Congress can agree on is difficult. All sides of the issue cannot be satisfied. But. in my best judgment. this bill represents the best possible compromise.