Speech #1040206040

If the verification system is ineffective or. worse. civil liberties are compromised. we can junk the system. And we should. But if pilot projects could move us down the road toward a workable approach. one which stops illegal aliens from getting jobs. then at the very least it deserves a try. Third. with regard to the summary exclusion provisions. we all agree that the United States must uphold Its obligation to provide refuge for people legitimately fleeing persecution. And obviously the challenge lies in balancing our desire to provide a safe haven with the need to protect our borders and avoid fraud. As mentioned earlier. INS has begun to move us toward achieving this balance. And the Judiciary Committee added Its help by adopting a 1year postentry time limit for filing defensive asylum claims. However. S. 1664s provisions establishing new grounds for the exclusion of immigrants who arrive at our borders without proper documentation and claim asylum were troubling. Senator SiMPsONs bill would have essentially left the determination of whether that claim is credible to a Border Patrol agent. These changes would have placed the United States at serious risk of sending legitimate asylees back to their persecutors. Indeed. the U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees had told us as much. all in the name of solving a problem that does not exist. Fortunately. Senator LEAHYs amendment to remove the summary exclusion provisions succeeded. Fourth. the issue of deeming and the related obligations of an immigrant sponsor are extremely complex. Persuasive arguments can be made on both sides but. overall. this bills provisions strengthening an immigrant sponsors obligations are fair and prudent. It is reasonable to ask that the sponsors affidavit of support be legally enforceable and that deeming extend to more public assistance programs. When legal immigrants come to this country they take a vow not to become a public charge. And it is the sponsor. not the taxpayer. who should foot the bill when a legal immigrant needs help. However. I must express regret that the Senate voted down the Chafee amendment. At a minimum. the Senate should have ensured that illegal aliens are not afforded more privileges than legal immigrants and approved this provision in the interest of public health. Finally. I am pleased that S. 1664 includes my amendment on the international matchmaking business.