Speech #1020207142

Mr. President. I rise today to introduce legislation to address a serious immigration problem at our Nations international ports of entry. Because of loopholes that exist in our immigration laws. large numbers of illegal aliens are entering the United States at our major ports of entry and are then disappearing into the interior of out country. The problem is particularly acute at international airports. During the past fiscal year. approximately 37.500 aliens attempted to enter illegally at U.S. ports of entry with either fraudulent documents. or no documents. These aliens have discovered that because we have limited detention space. they will likely be paroled into the community at large if they simply indicate a desie to apply for asylum in the United States. Although these aliens are directed by the Immigration Service to return on a particular date to pursue an asylum application. the majority falil to (1o o. At Now Yorks John F. Kennedy Airport. for example during the last 6 months of 1991. 1.855 out of 3.100 aliens who wore paroled into the country. failed to appear for a hearing on their claim for asylum. A Now York Times article describes this problem in significant detail. The bill I introduce today will address this problem. while at the same time. preserving and protecting the ability of aliens to present legitimate. goodfaith applications for asylum. The bill provides that any alien who uses a fraudulent document to enter the United States. or who uses a document to board an airplane overseas but fails to present that document upon arrival in the United States. would be subject to an immediate order of exclusion by an immigration officer. By enabling the Immigration Service to immediately remove these illegal aliens. we will doter those persons abroad who seek a "free pass" into the United States from inundating our airports. and we will spare our communities the burden and potential risks of absorbing additional illegal aliens. However. this bill will still protect those aliens who have legitimate claims to asylum. but who attempt to enter the country without proper documents. The legislation would prevent the Immigration Service from immediately removing any alien who has a credible fear of prosecution in the country to which he would be returned. If an alien has such a fear. he would be paroled into the United States. and a hearing on the merits of his asylum claim would be scheduled. Mr. President. similar legislation was passed by the Senate in 1982 and 1984. and was also passed by the House in 1984. as part of the Immigration Reform and Control Act. Unfortunately. this provision was not included in the final version of that legislation. which was enacted In 1986. Nevertheless. previous support for this important enforcement tool is noteworthy. This is not some extreme. harsh. or radical proposal. but rather. it is one with broad public and bipartisan support. The legislation I Introduce today is more specific than the 1984 version. but the intent and the effect are similar. Quite simply put: Legitimate seekers of political asylum should not be turned away at our international airports. but those who seek to abuse our generous immigration and refugee laws to enter the country illegally should be swiftly and surely removed. I should note that this legislation was transmitted by the administration to the Congress on April 30. 1992. I ask unanimous consent to include in the REcoitD the transmittal letter. a copy of the bill. and a sectionbysection analysis of the bill prepared by the administration.