Speech #1040203008

But when I say what we are trying to do is eliminate the issue of persons bringing in 30. 40. 50. 60. the alltime record was 83 persons on a single petition. that is what we are trying to do. So. if we are going to continue to talk about family and treating those fairly who are here and those who play by the rules--I understand that and all of those thingsthen this is where we are. Even the most ardent proimmigration advocates cannot with credibility oppose legislation to control illegal immigration. That will not happen. But this. at least for me. is a presentation of where we are in this country. and we will just see where the amendment goes. If it is gone. it is gone. But I do not intend to come this far in the immigration debate in the United States and not deal with something that the Jordan Commission report felt was very much a concern. Others have different views. But if you are talking about reducing immigration. you cannot just talk about illegal immigration. The reason I am talking about it here so I will not hear about combining and pureeing and splitting again Isand you must hear thishalf of the people in the United States who are illegal came here legally. Over half of the people in the United States who are here illegally came legally. So how in Gods name do you pretend that you can separate the issue? You cannot separate the issue. They came here on tourist visas and they came here on student visas or they came here on any kind of legal visa. They went out of status. They went into the communities. They went with their relatives. and they are here. That is the way it works. The length of timeand I will throw it openthe length of time for chain migration. I say to my friend from Illinois. does not change the effect. It displaces the entry of spouses and unmarried minor children.