Speech #1020086898

Mr. Speaker. America is a land of immigrants. Our proud cultural heritage and democratic traditions are the product of a rich blend of peoples gathering here from all over the world. In my native California. our way of life has been enhanced by the Influx of Latinos. Asians. and other foreign Immigrants who have settled there. The enactment of major immigration reforms In recent years attests to our continuing strong commitment to equal opportunity and our belief that newcomers legally entering our shores will benefit Americas ecorumic. social and cultural future. Immigration. however. is not always a positive force for our country. In spite of Improvements In the Immigration law and steppedup efforts to police the border and arrest undocumented aliens. the problem of Illegal Immigration is a serious one throughout southern California and the border States. as well as In many other areas throughout this country. After several years of decline. largely as a consequence of the ban on hiring illegal aliens and stiff penalties on employers who flout the provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. the number of arrests of illegals Is rising to the pre1986 level of 1.8 million a year. INS officials have told me there may be as many as 3 million Illegal aliens residing In southern California alone. Many cities and towns are being overrun with immigrants. both legal and undocumented. who pose additional economic and law enforcement problems. Congregating groups of outofwork Immigrant day laborers seeking temporary or nonexistent jobs In suburban communities have created public disturbances. disrupted small businesses. jammed traffic and. In some Instances. endangered the physical safety of women and children. Many illegal aliens are Involved in drug trafficking across the border and violent gang activities In our communities. posing a major threat to families and neighborhoods and straining the capacities of Immigration authorities and local law enforcement. Other illegals place themselves on the welfare rolls. largely through the use ol fraudulent documents. further burdening community facilities and depleting already strained county resources. The illegal alien problem Is essentially economic. If conditions of poverty were Improved south of the border or jobs were not available in the United States. there probably would not be a crisis today in many States. Many of us in the Congress believe that the North American FreeTrade Agreement now being negoliated by the Bush administration will help to stimulate the economy of Mexico and Improve United States trade with that country. thereby creating more jobs in both countries. There is no question that the INS lacks the resources necessary to perform its job properly. Despite Federal budgetary constraints I do not understand the consistent opposition of many of my colleagues to providing adequate funding so that the Border Patrol can stop the flood of illegal aliens crossing our borders. The easy availability of fake birth certificates. drivers licenses. Social Security cards and other documents contributes to this crisis. enabling millions of aliens to enter this country illegally. to drop out of sight In many American cities and to steal jobs and benefits at the expense of citizen workers and taxpayers. In addition. some employers make no real effort to check documents. preferring instead to take advantage of cheap labor. Finally. illegal aliens are able to obtain unemployment Insurance and educational. medcal and welfare assistance unlawfullybenefits and free services far more generous and more accessible here than in their native lands. Taking adequate care of their own legal residents Is difficult enough for local communities and taxpayers. without the added burden of providing assistance to illegals. Mr. Speaker. in order to address this difficult and complex Issue. I am offering today a legislative package designed to tighten our immigration laws. The five bills I am introducing tackle five basic problem areas. First. they will strengthen Federal resources by increasing Border Patrol manpower and training. stepping up wage and hour enforcement. adding Assistant U.S. Attorneys assigned to illegal alien cases. enhancing penalties for harboring. and promoting negotiations with our neighbors to stop the smuggling of Illegals. Second. they will crack down on document fraud by requiring secure new "green" cards and new Social Security cards only for those immigrants eligible for employment In the United States. Third. they will provide needed assistance to employers by authorizing education programs on the law and simplifying their responsibilities by reducing and Improving required identification documents. Fourth. they will cut off welfare and other benefits to illegal aliens. And finally. they will discourage illegal day laborers by permitting the Impoundment of vehicles used in the transportation of illegals for employment purposes. Let me describe my bills In greater detail. First. the Immigration Document Fraud Prevention Act of 1991 would require new counterfeitresistant and tamperproof registration and Identification cards to be issued to all permanent resident aliens eligible to work in the United States. Replacing the old "green" cards. these cards must be renewed every 5 years upon surrendering the old cards and payment of a $35 user fee. The card must contain the bearers photograph or other identifying Information. Under this bill the Justice Department. in conjunction with the Labor Department. the Small Business Administration and the Internal Revenue Service. would provide a nationwide program to educate employers on the uses of the new cards and their legal responsibilities. The penalty for immigration fraud would increase from 5 to 10 years Imprisonment. plus fines. The Attorney General. working with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. would conduct a demonstration project to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of a computerized callin worker verification system for employers. Second. the Improved Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 1991 would strengthen the Border Patrol by Increasing the positions from about 3.800 at present to 6.600 by 1993 and by increasing funding for equipment and support services and improving inservice training. The bill would strengthen enforcement of the wage and hour laws by adding 250 positions In the Labor Departments Wage and Hour Division assigned to areas of high concentration of undocumented aliens. The penalty for harboring illegal aliens would be increased from 5 to 10 years In prison and/or fines. The bill would also direct the Attorney General and the Secretary of State to undertake negotiations with our neighboring countries to establish programs to stop the illegal smuggling of undocumented aliens Into the United States. Third. the Employer Sanctions Improvements Act of 1991 would require new tamperproof Social Security cards for Immigrants authorized to work In the United States on a temporary basis only. The new cards would be provided upon application. proof of Identity. verification of status and payment of a $25 user fee. The new card is not to be considered a national identity card and would only be presented to verify an aliens work eligibility. Under the bill the Justice Department. workIng with the Department of Labor. the Small Business Administration. and the IRS. would conduct a nationwide program to educate employers on the new cards uses and their legal responsibilities. Fourth. the fourth bill would prohibit giving any Federal benefits. including unemployment and welfare. to illegal aliens. An almost identical bill has been Introduced In the other body by Mr. EXON of Nebraska. A study by the Center for Immigration Studies estimates that U.S. taxpayers paid at least $5.4 billion in direct benefits In 1990 for illegal aliens nationwide. That study did not even include such abused government programs as Social Security. Medicare. food stamps. and unemployment compensation. Nor did it Include the extra costs for police. fire. courts. parks. and transportation services that are spent on Illegal aliens. When those major costs are Included. the total bill to the taxpayers skyrockets. In Los Angeles County alone. the estimated net cost of illegal aliens rose by almost $70 million during the past 2 years to $276.7 milliona 34percent increase largely caused by lax enforcement of employer sanctions. the lack of adequate forces to patrol our borders. and the other factors I have tried to address in this legislation. Fifth. the Illegal Alien Transportation Prevention Act of 1991 would add language to current law to prohibit the transportation of Illegal aliens for purposes of employment by anyone with the knowledge or reckless disregard of the fact that the alien is in this country in violation of the law and cannot be hired legally. This proposal will help to stop the widespread problem created by Illegals who congregate in California communities such as Agoura Hills and Santa Clarita looking for day work who are picked up and dropped off at various locations by suburban residents and contractors seeking temporary cheap labor. A brief word about the costs of this legislation. I believe that the new tamperproof registration and identification cards and Social Security cards will be paid for largely through user fees of $35 and $25 respectively. I estimate that employer education will cost around $5 million and the additional personnel and inservice training programs for the Border Patrol will cost slightly In excess of $50 million for fiscal year 1993. However. I also believe that the problems created by illegal aliens are of such magnitude that the expenditure of Federal funds is justified. Moreover. the savings that should be realized from enactment of these bills. especially the costs of police. housing. education. health care and other services. unemployment compensation. and welfare benefits that are Imposed on hardpressed government at all levels. should more than pay for the measures I am proposing. Mr. Speaker. I am pleased that the INS. at my urging. has established a task force In my district of agents who will target for Investigation both Illegal aliens seeking employment and the homeowners and small contractors who routinely hire them. While such a task force will help to oliminate impromptu job centers for Illegal day laborers In many areas and reduce tensions between unemployed legal immigrants legitimately seeking work and the communities. much more must be done to combat the increasing problem of Illegal immigration and Illegal aliens. I believe that my five bills will help to alleviate the crisis In California and elsewhere. I hope that the House will take prompt action and pass this legislation.