Speech #1030021544

President. the public was shocked by reports that the shooting at the CIA headquarters and the bombing of the World Trade Center were carried out by people who were in this country by claiming political asylum. In many cases. the public saw on primetime television how easy it is to enter the United States through our international airports and other points of entry by claiming asylum. Not only is it easy to enter the country. but also to remain for years. working legally while asylum claims are adjudicated. There is no question that our asylum process is severely strained and undermined by this abuse. Originally. when the law was passed in 1980. fewer than 5.000 persons per year. who were current residents of the United States. were expected to seek asylum. The claims were to be handled on an individual basis. Today. that number has increased to about 8.000 claims a month. and the system is swamped. The backlog of cases is now over 200.000. assuring years of waiting for asylum seekers. Even then. most people do not even show up for their asylum hearings. having disappeared into the general population. Swelling the ranks of asylum seekers are throngs of people whose passage is arranged by smugglers. The people who are smuggled into the United States often find themselves indentured servants. having to work off the cost of the passage by prostitution. pornography. drug dealing. sweat shop labor. and other illegal activities. Until decisive steps are taken to stop it. this abuse of our generous asylum laws will only worsen. This has been a growing problem for years. The shooting at the CIA headquarters and the bombing of the World Trade Center were wake up calls. Now is the time for corrective action. I urge prompt consideration of a proposal that has been thought through very carefully. the Port of Entry Inspection and Improvement Act of 1993. This legislation would correct the current abuses and at the same time protect those aliens who present legitimate asylum claims. By Mr. SPECTER (for himself.