With the economy faltering. new arrivals are no longer finding an employment environment that can readily absorb them as contributing members of our society. This means a prolonged period of Government assistance. Immigration control is a Federal responsibility. However. the Federal Government has historically reimbursed State and local governments for only about half the calculable costs of resettlement and absorption of new arrivals. Based on my States experience with the Mariel boatlift. the unreimbursed cost to our State and local governments of the latest Haitian arrivals is expected to be more than $5 million the first year. Moreover. we dont have the capability to accurately measure the longer term costs to our social and physical infrastructurefor which there Is no local reimbursement formula. Given all this. the amendment before us conveys the sense of Congress that the Federal Government shouldas a basic policy approachlook at all methods that could be employed to ensure that no State bears a disproportionate impact of special immigration problems. As States continue to face serious budget shortfalls. the Federal Government should take steps to ensure that State and local taxpayers do not incur what is appropriately a Federal cost in attempting to provide services for Haitian and other refugees and displaced persons. Mr. Chairman. we need national. not regional. solutions to national problems.
Keywords matched
Immigration immigration refugees