Speaker. in 1986 the United States flung open its borders to the three countries of the former U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific. The Compact of Free Association. negotiated between these nations and the United States. waives all usual INS procedures allowing totally unrestricted immigration into the United States. Because of Guams proximity to these islands. we bear the brunt of this inmigration. The law implementing the Compact of Free Association authorized reimbursement to Guam for the impact of this policy. Today. over 8.000 foreign citizens. 6 percent of our population. now legally reside on Guam. The Government of Guam has carried the water for this illconceived immigration policy since 1986 and has incurred costs in excess of $70 million. I urge my colleagues to support an amendment that I will offer to the Interior appropriations bill to restore the administrations request of $4.58 million for Guam compactimpact aid. Guam may be 10.000 miles away. but on this immigration issue. Guam will not buy the excuse that the Federal Government lost our compactimpact check in the mail.
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immigration