Speech #1040028380

This Is fine as political rhetoric. but it is shortsighted and destructive as public policy. My concerns focus on an Individual case in point. On December 5. 1994. regulations were published in the Federal Register that provide desperately needed reforms of our political asylum process. This reform Is important because the number of political asylum cases has exploded. In 1983. there were fewer than 5.000. This grew to 56.000 in 1991 and more than 150.000 last year. The backlog of unprocessed asylum cases has grown to more than 425.000 cases by the end of last year and is rising at the rate of 100.000 each year. This increase in political asylum cases is not driven by a rise in legitimate refugees seeking protection from the United States. but rather by an increased awareness of the loophole overseas. What is happening is that aliens and immigrants are coming to this country. flushing their papers down the toilet on their flight over and claiming political asylum once they land at JFK or Dulles International Airport. They are learning how to do this through conmen and immigration consultants overseas. The reason aliens are claiming political asylum. in such large numbers. Is ILiat they know they can use the process to get into the United States with little or no problem or governmental control. INS officials cannot summarily dismiss these complaints and send the aliens back home. Instead the aliens are given work permits and temporary visas while the INS reviews their claim. With a backlog of 425.000 claims. this initial review can be up to 24 months away. Even after the INS reviews the claim and rejects It. the alien simply appeals the decision and continues to live and work in the United States.