Speech #1040056988

Finally. Madam President. the bill addresses the problem of overstays by visitors admitted to this country legally. The debate on illegal immigration is focused on the United StatesMexican border. This is understandable. given the flow of illegal aliens across the border and the impact of this flow on border States. However. even sealing off the United StatesMexican border would not solve the problem of illegal immigration. Indeed. Madam President. the United StatesMexican border is less than half of the problem. The Immigration and Naturalization Service estimates that 52 percent of all illegal aliens residing in the United States do not sneak across the U.S. border. Instead. they enter legally on visitors visas and then overstay their visas. The percentage in my State of New Jersey is even higher. given its distance from Mexico and the sources of our illegal alien population. The INS estimates that 60 percent of New Jerseys illegal aliens enter the country legally on a visitors visa and then just overstay. convinced that the INS will never find them. And most times they are right. The administration and Congress. lixated on the Mexican border. are ignoring this very substantial problem.