Speech #1030048920

They told me that some companies that they knew of might very well close their doors down there because the import tariffs that are now erected against some of our products going into Mexico would be removed. And as a result. there would be no necessity to keep some American plants down there that are currently there because those protective barriers will not be there. I said. "What will happen to the employees of many of those companies. including farmers. small campasinos that have farms down there. small truck farms that produce products there in Mexico?" And they said that what many of them would do would be to come to the United States. and they think that this would enhance the illegal immigration problem. As a matter of fact. they told me that we could expect an increase in illegal immigration into the United States averaging from 6 to 8 percent a year for the next 8 to 15 years. So the illegal immigration problem that we have could be and probably will be compounded. if NAFTA is approved. This is another problem. I am pointing out the problems with the NAFTA agreement that some people do not see that is really apparent.