Speech #990274927

I want to thank the gentleman for his willingness to take on this bill. this very difficult task. and to discharge it with the aplomb and skill I am sure he will discharge it with at this time. Mr. Chairman. legislative action. in the form of H.R. 3810. the Immigration Reform and Control Act. must be taken for three very fundamental reasons: First. to prevent the uncontrolled influx of undocumented aliens into the United States. Second. to end the current exploitation of millions of aliens who live in a twilight subrosa society. afraid to come forward. because of their illegal status. and Third. to preserve the humanitarian traditions and generous ideals of this country regarding the admission of legal immigrants and refugees. Regarding the first objective. it should be noted that during the last 2 fiscal years over 1 million undocumented aliens were apprehended and expelled from this countrythe highest number ever. During the current fiscal year. even that record level is being outstripped. In one night alone over 3.000 undocumented aliens were apprehended along the border in the Chula Vista area. No one knows how many passed through undetected. The authority of Congressindeed its responsibilityto regulate immigration derives from a source even higher than the Constitution. In fact. the Supreme Court has stated on numerous occasions that the control of immigration is an inherent power arising out of national sovereignty and existing without regard to any constitutional grant. For Congress to ignore its responsibility in this area by failing to consider and enact immigration reform and control legislation is to ignore the very sovereignty upon which our Nation is based. We cannot turn away from this monumental problem. simply because it is difficult to solve. simply because it is politically sensitive to deal with or simply because 1986 is an election year. This Nation must exercise its sovereign rightand its sovereign responsibilityto control its borders and it must do so now. If we fail to act. I am fearful that the continued existence in the statute books of our Nations fair. humane. and generous programs for admitting legal migrantsimmigrants and refugeesmay be in jeopardy. The patience of a peoplealready strainedcould end abruptly toward all entrants. not only those who enter illegally. In addition to the uncontrolled influx of undocumented aliens nightly. millions are already in this country. These persons live in a subrosa. twilight society. They are vulnerable to exploitation because of their illegal status. Unscrupulous employers prey on their fear of discovery and use threats of deportation to quell complaints about treatment. working conditions. and pay. That is why we need immigration reform. Now I will turn to why we need H.R. 3810. H.R. 3810 seeks to solve our Nations immigration problems through a package approach. I assert that enforcement and interdiction efforts alone cannot control U.S. borders. Employer sanction provisions alone cannot.