Mr. President. I Join with those In thanking the distinguished chairman of the Immigration Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee. the Senator from Wyoming. for what is extraordinarily thankless on a subject that perhaps has more controversy than almost any other I have seen since I have been in the U.S. Senate. I will give my views on the bill that is now before us. the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1996. I come. obviously. along with my colleague. Senator BOxER. from the State most heavily impacted by illegal immigration in the Nation. The presentation of the Immigration and Naturalization Service to the Judiciary Committee showed that California is on a tier all by itself. The estimates on numbers vary. but they go anywhere from 1.6 million to 2 million. 3 million. and even 4 million people in our State illegally. depending upon whom one chooses to believe. Moat authorities agree that the right number is in the vicinity of 2 million people in California illegally right now. One concern Is overridingthat illegal immigration is a serious problem. Additionally. it is the responsibility of the Federal Government. not the States. to prevent it. Californians went to the ballot and overwhelmingly approved the most stringent of propositions. proposition 187.
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Naturalization illegal immigration Immigration