It was defeated on this floor not because we do not think that we ought to help the State and local governments in terms of the problems they have in jailing these people. but because we do not have the room in our Federal prison system. It was pointed out on the floor. if you push these people in the Federal system. some of those people we voted to go into the Federal prison system on the drug bill. for mandatory sentences. will not be able to go there because we are not going to have room for them. So to the extent that the gentleman says that we should require expeditious deportation of convicted aliens. I absolutely agree. It will be a part of the bill as far as I am concerned. To the extent that we should direct the Secretary of Defense to give us a list of those facilities under his jurisdiction that could be made available to the Bureau of Prisons for incarcerating aliens subject to exclusion or deportation. absolutely it ought to be part of the bill. As far as the mandate of an immediate transfer of certain deportable aliens from State and local penal facilities to the Federal penal facilities. we do not have the room. We ought to recognize it. and if it is a case of pushing these people into the system or putting major drug dealers in because the mandatory sentences we have just passed in this HouseI think most Members would say we ought to do the latter. So I will tell the gentleman that I am not going to call for a vote now. but to be addressing you in all candor. I think in the conference we are going to have to recognize that that is going to have to come out. because we have received a message from the administration: They cannot accept this. I know the gentleman from Florida does not want to kill an immigration bill. So let us allow this to be part of the bill. but I think we are going to bring a bill back to you with onethird of your very commendable amendment removed. Mr.
Keywords matched
immigration deportable deportation