Speech #1010216939

Mr. PACKARD. and I have offered this amendment to address the long acknowledged need for more Border Patrol agents. The amendment is based on H.R. 4499. which Mr. MOORHEAD and I introduced earlier this year. It is noncontroversial and was accepted by the Judiciary Committee as an amendment to the fiscal year 1991 Justice Department authorization bill which will probably not be considered by the House. It should be added to this legislation. The purpose of H.R. 4300 is to improve and expand our current system of legal immigration. Its intent is to give more opportunities for individuals to legally enter the United States. Unfortunately. the present state of security on our southern border is so weak that individuals do not have to wait to enter the country legally because they can enter illegally. Despite the enactment of the 1986 Immigration Act. it is still far too easy to enter the United States illegally. From October 1989 on July 31. 1990. the Border Patrol apprehended 846.000 undocumented aliens along our southern bordera 25percent increase over the previous year. In addition. for every alien apprehended. three enter the United States illegally. And this is a conservative estimate. The Border Patrol cannot begin to address this influx with their existing resources. Mr. Chairman. Congress has not provided the Border Patrol personnel we promised in the 1986 act. The San Diego sector. which witnessed roughly 50 percent of all illegal entries. currently has 785 agents on board. compared to 850 agents prior to 1986. The 1.000 agents authorized by this amendment will not end illegal immigration. but they will help secure the border and that is a vital step toward insuring the credibility of our system of immigration. The changes and reforms contained in H.R. 4300 cannot succeed without an effective deterrent to illegal immigration. I urge my colleagues to approve the MoorheadLoweryPackard amendment.