Speech #1010201842

Mr. President. the front page of this mornings New York Times carries a photograph of three young illegal immigrants in Los Angeles holding up counterfeit green cards and Social Security cards. The caption reads: "For Immigrants. Fake Documents Are Easy To Come By." The story. ably reported by Richard W. Stevenson. has the headline: "Growing Problem: Aliens With Fake Documents." Mr. Stevenson reports that a recent survey by the Immigration and Naturalization Service of 900 aliens arrested at workplaces in the past year. some 233 "admitted having counterfeit Social Security cards." The story continues: "Most new arrivals can buy a green card and a Social Security card for $20 or more in central Los Angeles. with prices generally higher in other regions. investigators said." Some may regard this newsand. of course. there is a sense in which it is not newsas representing a defeat for the organizations in the American government concerned with illegal immigration. And so it is. Yet. it is equally important to recognize that it also marks a victory for the Social Security Administration.