Speech #1030056031

I do want to rise in support of the amendment by the gentleman from California and others. This is a tremendously growing problem. The gentleman from Indiana and I. a couple of weeks ago. had a briefing from an INS official who told us that 187.000 illegal aliens were apprehended at the Mexican border during the month of April alone. There are some estimates that there are three or four times as many as are apprehended. as are coming across. and so this is a problem of concern not just to those from border States but to all of us across the country. People from Tennessee and other States are greatly concerned about this. A couple of weeks ago an economist from Rice University presented a new study which shows that we spend at least $12.5 billion on the approximately 5 million illegal aliens here now. at least $12.5 billion. and some estimates are even higher than that. In addition to all of that. the INS official who briefed us told us that it cost an average of $30.000 to remove an illegal alien. And even worse. it takes an average of 3 years of time to do that. An earlier speaker mentioned that there are 15.000 illegal alien case. awaiting hearings at the present time in New York alone. The INS official who briefed us told us that in Mexico they remove illegal aliens in 3 to 4 weeks time. but he said they were trying to give technical assistance to the Mexicans to get them to update their procedures. I said that we needed to take lessons from the Mexicans. We need to toughen up our laws in regard to illegal aliens and remove them much faster than 3 years time. I do not suppose I have over spoken in favor of an amendment to increase spending. but I support the efforts by the gentleman from Indiana and the gentleman from Pennsylvania to take other moneys from this bill and use it to increase the funding for the Border Patrol. because this is a problem that is at a very serious point now and is going to grow in the future. Also. I hope.