Speech #1040020712

Mr. Chairman. I rise today In support of H.R. 668. the Criminal Alien Deportation Act. This legislation represents title VIII of the Taking Back Our Streets Act. one of the 10 points of the Republican Contract With America. and continues our efforts here In the House to address our Nations crime problem. The legislation we consider today makes several amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act and other immigration laws to address the problem of aliens who commit serious crimes while they are in the United States. and gives federal law enforcement officials additional tools with which to combat organized immigration crime. The most significant provisions of H.R. 668 are intended to accomplish one or both of two broad goals. First. the bill strengthens the Governments ability to efficiently deport aliens who are convicted of serious crimes. Second. the legislation adds immigration crimes to those crimes that the Federal Government may investigate under the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO] law. and adds certain other crimes to the definition of "aggravated felonies." thereby expanding the number of criminal aliens who can be deported. The bill makes it clear that expedited deportation procedures that currently apply to nonresident aliens also apply to aliens who have been conditionally granted permanent residence. Finally. in an effort to identify criminal aliens who may flee jurisdiction to avoid deportation. the bill directs the Criminal Alien Identification System. formerly the Criminal Alien Tracking Center created by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. tc assist Federal. State. and local law enlorcement agencies in identifying and locating criminal aliens who may be deported. Mr. Speaker. the passage of proposition 187 in California in 1994. was Indicative of the frustration of the American people with the number of illegal aliens in this country. Ironically. under the California law. a 7- or 8yearold child can be deported. yet the Federal Government still has difficulty deporting some criminal aliens. Under current law we may not deport aliens who have been convicted of crimes such as serious bribery. counterfeiting and forgery. perjury or bribery of a witness. or trafficking in stolen vehicles. In addition. aliens who have been sentenced to 5 or more years In prison. but have not served a full 5 years may not be deported. Sometimes they have been released early simply because of prison overcrowding. Furthermore. the INS may not initiate deportation proceedings against a criminal alien in prison until he has served 5 years. which means that sometimes. the criminal alien is released before the deportation order is ready and cannot be captured to be deported. The costs to States for incarcerating these criminal aliens is a serious matter for our consideration as well. Yesterday. the House. with my strong support. approved an important amendment which would reimburse States with large immigration populations for these costs. The provision. approved as part of our crime legislation. sets aside a total of $650 million annually for the next 5 years. My State of Florida houses over 5.500 criminal aliens within its correctional system.