Speech #990281321

America is still a giant magnet of opportunity that attracts people to come here because they want to share in what we have. Mostly. they want to share in our freedom. I thought it would be instructive in this debate to get records from the Immigration and Naturalization Service on how many people as of now have applied to come to America. how many people would like to come here legally if they were given the opportunity. I thought my colleagues would be interested in knowing that as of January 1986. 1.903.475 people from all over the world have sought through the legitimate channels to come to America. Many will have to wait for years. to hope and pray for the opportunity of coming to America under established patterns of immigration. 1.903.475 people. When we pass a bill that sets out a policy for legalization or amnesty. we are saying to these 1.903.475 people that those people who broke the law in coming here. who are here in violation of the law. are going to be given preference and status over you. People who came here illegally and who have stayed here in violation of the law are going to be given benefits that over 1.9 million people who sought to do it the legal way. probably will never have an opportunity to have.