Speech #1030008071

Mr. Speaker. today I am introducing a series of measures aimed at addressing one of the fastest growing problems facing the Nation. and one of the issues most ignored by the Federal Government: illegal immigration. The United States has by far the most generous legal immigration system in the world: we allow more peoplenearly 1 million a yearto immigrate here than do all other countries combined. and more newcomers are settling here legally every day than at any other time in our history. The vast majority of Americans. including myself. fake tremendous pride in this tradition of welcoming and openness. It is uniquely American. It is a major part of what makes us special. That said. I believe we all also know that our capacity to accept immigrants is not unlimited. and that our inability. or unwillingness. to control illegal immigration effectively will surely threaten our ability to continue to welcome legal immigrants in the nottoodistant future. Illegal immigration is already having a major effect on public services and labor markets in certain areas of the country. It will soon have an enormous effect. While the Federal Government has sole responsibility for controlling our borders. the burden of illegal immigrationproviding education. health services. welfare. housing. and jobs for hundreds of thousands of these newcomers and their families each yearfalls almost entirely on local governments. Yet the Federal Government. while barring illegal aliens from participating in virtually any federally supported public assistance programsthereby increasing this burden on local communitieshas failed miserably in its effort to stem the influx of illegals over the border. The Border Patrol. which is woefully undermanned. estimates that for every one individual apprehended at the border. at least three cross undetected. The employer sanctions law. established under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 [IRCAJ. is widely misunderstood and inadequately enforced and. worse. has resulted in discrimination against legal residents and citizens who may appear to be foreign to prospective employers. We must ask ourselves: Do we believe that immigration to the United States should be unlimited? Or do we believe that we should continue our current policy of admitting large numbers of legal immigrants. but of not admitting