Speech #1040201732

I have long supported cracking down on those who manufacture and use fraudulent documents. When I toured the CaliforniaMexico border with Attorney General Reno and Senator FEINSTEIN. we met with INS agents who told us It was key to beef up penalties for document forgery. Thousands of Illegal immigrants each year use these documents to enter the United States illegally or continue to stay and work here illegally. In the 1994 crime bill. I proposed an amendment to double the criminal penalties for forgers and distributors of fraudulent documents. These heightened penalties passed and are now law. The provisions contained In S. 1664 go even further to increase criminal and civil penalties for crimes involving document fraud. We must send a message to these wrongdoers that we will not tolerate those who flout our immigration and criminal laws. These tougher penalties should serve as an effective deterrent to such actions. For instance. for fraudulent use of governmentissued documents. the bill Increases the maximum fine from $250.000 to $500.000. and the maximum criminal sentence from 5 years to 15 years. I would like to take a minute to specifically discuss alien smuggling. Recent Incidents involving alien smugglers have received considerable press attention. The beating of two illegal immigrants after a 80mile chase ending in El Monte put a face on the human cargo being brought into our country by alien smugglers. Recently In California. 7 people were killed and 19 injured when a pickup carrying immigrants being smuggled into the country skidded. flipped over. and plunged off a rural road west of Temecula while being followed by Boraer Patrol agents. We must stop such occurrences. S. 1664 stiffens criminal penalties for alien smuggling.