Speech #1040201760

It is at least of as great importance as the matter before us today. But I do rise in opposition to this bill. I fear this legislation not only embraces the wrong approach to curbing Illegal immigration. but I think it contradicts past efforts to reform the Federal regulatory framework and to prevent the Congress from passing unfunded Federal mandates that will needlessly burden employers and local governments alike. In 1994. we witnessed a very emotional and pointed debate in California over a ballot issue that we have all come to know and describe as proposition 187. That debate. which evolved into a rhetorlal backlash against both legal and illegal Immigrants. clearly demonstrated that the issue of immigration has the very strong potential to further divide and alienate those in our communities who are now faced. even more than at any time in the past. with the daily anxieties of economic insecurity and social instability. During the extensive consideration of this legislation In the Senate Judiciary Committee. I did oppose certain efforts to curtail legal immigration. whether it was an effort to prevent families from reuniting with loved ones or an effort to place additional hurdles before persons who arm fleeing persecution in their home cointries and have a legitimate right to ask for asylum. As I indicated then. my strong support for preserving ample levels of legal immigration does not compromise in any way my feeling. and the feeling I think of every Member of this body. that we do need to take bold and aggressive steps to curtail illegal immigration. I do believe there are reforms that are responsible and reasonable. and that we should make every effort to pursue on this bill. For example. the bill authorizes the hiring of over 4.500 new Border Patrol agents over the course of the next 5 years. This massive increase in personnel will nearly double the existing number of Border Patrol agents under the jurisdiction of the INS. I was also. therefore. pleased that an amendment I offered In committee was adopted by the committee. which provides that these many new personnel will be hired and adequately trained. pursuant to appropriate standards of law enforcement. I am also strongly supportive of provisions in S. 269. offered by Senator KENNEDY. to enhance the penalties for virtually all forms of alien smuggling and document fraud. as well as related offenses. Additionally. these provisions provide stiff penalties for those individuals who operate sweatshops which force people. many In this country illegally. to work in often inhumane conditions for minimal compensation. Like these new enforcement personnel and alien smuggling penalties. it is critical that any measure we consider to curtail illegal immigration be targeted against those who are actually breaking our laws. Nothing stands in more stark contrast to this sort of targeted approach than what I believe to be the single most troubling component of this legislation and that is the creation of a new. costly and massive worker verification demonstration project which is intended by the proponents. I believe. to lead to a nationwide verification system within a few years. The worker verification proposal contained in this legislation. and the worker verification concept itself. is not a targeted approach to confronting the problem of illegal immigration. Instead. it is an approach which seeks to deputize thousands of business owners and farmers and other entrepreneurs. and virtually turn our Nations workplaces into some kind of internal border patrol. miniINSs. if you will. These employers are then charged with the responsibility of navigating a complex new electronic verification system In an effort to root illegal immigrants out from a massive American work force. I find it shortsighted and untenable to suggest that we cannot combat illegal immigration without requiring every person in America to have his or her identity checked by a Federal data base each time each person In this country applies for a job or for Government assistance. Despite goodfaith efforts by the proponents of this provision to try to build in adequate privacy protections. the fact remains that every time an American applies for a Job he or she will be stepping into a civil liberties minefleld. if this system develops as I am concerned the authors intend. Who In our society will be required to have their Identities verified?