Speech #1040201614

It is a crime and strikes at the heart of one of the conditions of nationhood: the ability to control the borders of our own country. That is what this bill Is about and what our debate this week should be about. I hope we will not be treated to accusations of xenophobia and racism from those who oppose a legitimate crackdown on illegal immigration. You talk about Job loss. there are problems where Jobs are being improperly taken by these illegal immigrants. What we are trying to do with this legislation is reestablish order and control over the process of entering the United States. Orderly immigration has always been a net good for our country. If we tried to catalog the major contributionsscientific. economic. cultural. patriotioof immigrants in the last few decades. it would take more time than we could spare here. Just as industrial America grew strong from the human capital of Ellis Island. so is our countrys future being created anew by our new citizens that come in from every corner of the world. That is fine. The Republican platform in 1992. the one some of the news media denounce as antiinmigrant. put it this way: Our Nation of immigrants continues to welcome those seeking a better life. This reflects our past. when some newcomers fled Intolerance. some sought prosperity. some came as slaves. All suffered and sacrificed but hoped their children would have a better life. All searched for a shared vision--and found one In America. Today we are stronger for their diversity. Uncontrolled immigration. however. is a different matter. We simply cannot allow our borders to be overrun. our laws flouted. and our national generosity abused. Every year. over one million persons are turned back while attempting illegal entry into this country. But many more are not apprehended and get into the country. There are probably more than 4 million illegal aliens now in this country. Their numbers are growing at about 800.000 to 400.000 people each year. That is unacceptable. The American people are payIng a tremendous price because of it. It was not so long ago that Congress legislated amnesty for persons then illegally in the United States. Hundreds of thousands illegal aliens and undocumented aliens. they were preferred to be called. took the opportunity to regularize their presence here. Many of them have now become citizens. More power to them.