Speech #990050368

Whereas 4 or 5 years ago the Dade County Jail was booking 200 Mariel entrants each month. the same Jail now books 400 Mariel entrants each month. Clearly. the Federal Government continues to have a role In the consequences of a Federal policy decision. Entrants are not like other refugees. They received no Initial screening in a third country. they did not receive any counseling or Englishlanguage trainIng prior to their arrival in the United States. and many came with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Had existing immigration laws been properly enforced. many of these people never would have been able to enter the United States because of past criminal activities. mental Infirmities. or contagious diseases. Cuban and Haitian entrants were certainly not "lured" to Florida by high welfare benefits. We do not have a general assistance program in Florida. in fact. Florida ranks near the bottom of the 50 States in the provision of public assistance. The Office of Refugee Resettlements own figures show Floridas welfare dependency rate at 24 percent. far below the national average. We in Florida fully understand that targeted assistance was Intended only as a temporary program. But what the administration and the Congress must understand is that a crisis of this proportion does not just end with the passage of time. elements of crisis remain and must be dealt with.