Mr. Speaker. I am an immigrant to this country. I arrived here in 1960 as a refugee from a tyranny that still rules the country of my birth. Cuba. Immigration is an issue that has caught this country by storm. and the problems created by a growing number of illegal immigrants as well as by the reality that we do not have control over our borders have spilled over and clouded our collective judgment on legal immigration. I would like to make four quick points today. First. there is a genuine need to address the problems of illegal immigration. Second. placing a cap on legal refugees is not in the best interest of the United States. Third. the assault on the current distribution of Federal funds through targeted assistance will leave my home area of Dade County with an unfunded mandate of at least $16 million. Finally. I would like to salute the provisions in the bill which emphasizes becoming a U.S. citizen. As a naturalized American. I know that this is the type of positive approach that we needed more of in this bill. a positive. not a punitive approach. That is the way to solve our immigration crisis.
Keywords matched
immigrant naturalized immigration Immigration refugees illegal immigrants refugee illegal immigration