Speech #990056850

Smith is correct in his analysis. there also will not be effective employer sanctions. I am personally saddened and disturbed by this nonapproach to legalization. The reason for my discomfort is that to ignore legalization as an essential element of immigration reform is to totally disregard the humanitarian side of this issue. As you know. many undocumenteds currently in our country have been in the United States for years. They have contributed their energies and productivity to this country. They are lawabiding people who enrich our society with their hard work. cultural heritage and commitment to family. The nonapproach of S. 1200 to legalization not only turns our collective national back to these people and their plight but fails to realistically deal with the very problem we say we are attempting to solvethe exploited underclass of the illegal alien. Again. I think we must question whether S. 1200 would not. in fact. aggravate an already intolerable situation. For instance. what happens to that undocumented that has resided in the United States before 1980. and would qualify for legalization as prescribed in your bill. but who wishes to change Jobs before the new select commission has made its recommendations or who is actually apprehended before the commission acts? I maintain. Mr. Speaker. that your bill provides no recourse for this individual and will. in fact. drive him deeper into the underclass and make him even more exploitable. In other words. the undocumented in my example either can go further underground or be available to work only for his initial employersince sanctions do not apply to continuous employment for that employee hired before enactment of your billcreating a state of effective bondage since the threat of exposure is always present. Mr. Speaker. instead of removing these people from their underclass status. the bill is forcing their retreat deeper into an underground world and workplace.