Speech #1020208927

Mr. Speaker. America Is facing a social and economic crisis caused by a flood of undocumented aliens that is overrunning many of our cities and communities. especially in California and the border States. The Immigration and Naturalization Service estimates that the number of arrests of illegals by Border Patrol agents in 1992 will exceed the alltime record in 1986 of 1.7 million apprehensions. and that for every one caught. at least 2 aliens will get through. Thus. we can expect at least 3.4 million new illegal Immigrants In this country this year--n addition to the 6 million undocumented persons that the INS has stated now reside unlawfully in the United States. The added burden on government for providing basic serviceswelfare. AFDC. housing. medical and hospital care. schooling. unemployment benefits. law enforcement. fire protection. sanitation. parks. et ceterato these people Is enormous. One estimate places the nationwide costs to taxpayers for assistance to Illegals at $4.5 billion a yeardespite the fact that undocumented aliens are not legally entitled to any Government benefits except emergency and pregnancy care under Medicaid and a public education. While many illegal aliens. using forged documents. are able to find employment in lowpaying jobs. they do not pay in taxes revenues sufficient to pay for the services they use. A recent State auditors report concluded that an estimated 200.000 illegal immigrants cost San Diego County $146 million annually in local government services. According to Los Angeles County officials. the estimated net cost to taxpayers for services provided to illegal aliens was $276.2 million In 199091a 34percent increase. or $70 million above the previous year. This figure represented an outlay of $414 million in public services Ligainst an estimated $138 million in local taxes paid by Illegals. Many Illega. aliens who cannot find legitimate employment resort to criminal activities to support themselves. Over 1.000 illegal aliens were arrested following the Los Angeles riots. and a recent study by Los Angeles County found that. at a minimum. 11 percent of the criminals In the Los Angeles County jails are deportable aliens. convicted of various crimes. The cost to the countys taxpayers of processing. trying. and incarcerating these illegals is at least $75.1 million a yearnot including costs of enforcement by city police departments and misdemeanor prosecutions by city attorneys. Moreover. the study showed clearly that many of these criminal aliens were repeat offenders. Of the 1.875 deportable aliens who were closely tracked over a 12month period following release from jail. more than half were deported to their native countries. but 41 percent772 defendantswere later rearrested a total of 1.522 times during that single year. The fact that there exIsts such a large number of undocumented aliens who prey on poor and disadvantaged Americanscitizens and noncitizens alikeis itself sufficient grounds for taking strong measures to stop the flood of illegal Immigration. Mr. Speaker.