Mr. Chairman. I think this is a bad amendment and. if adopted. will turn this bill into a toothless tiger. a mambypamby immigration bill. I understand why people do not want criminal penalties. because a lot of folks do not want an immigration bill that will work. They do not want a bill that has the ultimate penalty. a criminal penalty. for a criminal conduct pattern of practice in which you have lots and lots of people employing and utilizing illegal aliens over and over and over again. the ones who are bringing hundreds of thousands of people into this country. The question is those who are in continuous violation. what do you do with them? If you just make them subject to a civil penalty. I am telling you you do not crack down on illegal immigration in this country. You must have the capability. you must have the tools at your disposal. to put into effect the ultimate penalty in order to stop illegal immigration. The purpose of this bill is supposed to be tough. and here we are watering it down. making it easy. making it so people will not have to face that ultimate penalty. and we end up not doing anything with this problem that everybody says could destroy America one of these days. Let me remind you. under this bill now. for 6 months after the enactment of this bill there is a period of education where there is no enforcement at all. Then for 1 year there is a period where. if you transgress once and knowingly hire an illegal alien. you only get a citation. So you have basically a year and a half of going to school on this bill. The criminal penalties require all of the criminal law requirements. including beyond a reasonable doubt and all of the other proof requirements. And again. it is for a pattern of practice. a continuing pattern. almost like you were talking about an organized crime situation. So for the life of me. for an immigration bill that tries to restrict illegal immigration. I cannot understand why we want to remove the option of the penalty. and I urge you to defeat this amendment.
Keywords matched
illegal alien immigration illegal immigration illegal aliens