Speech #1040272275

The broadened definition of aggravated felony adds new offenses related to gambling. bribery. perjury. revealing the identity of undercover agents. and transporting prostitutes. What does this mean? More criminal aliens will be deportable and fewer will be eligible for waivers of deportation. To assist in the identification and removal of deportable criminal aliens. the bill authorizes the registration of aliens on probation or parole. requires that the criminal alien identification system be used to assist Federal. State. and local law enforcement agencies in identifying and locating removable criminal aliens. and authorizes $5 million per year from 1997 to 2001 for the criminal alien tracking center. The bill also provides that funds under the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program may be used for costs of imprisoning criminal aliens in State or local facilities. This bill also provides that the fee for adjustment of status be increased to $1.000 and that at least 80 percent of those fees be spent on enhancing the Immigration and Naturalization Services capacity to detain criminal aliens and others subject to detention. The bill also authorizes $150 million for detaining and removing deportable and inadmissible aliens. To facilitate legal entry. this measure provides for increased fulltime land border inspectors to ensure full staffing of border crossing lanes during peak crossing hours. The bill will result in the establishment of preinspection stations at a limited number of foreign airports. These provisions are desperately needed to stem the tide of illegal immigration. I note that I am not happy with all of the immigration bills provisions. but I have to say. I do not think anybody is. The vast majority of them. however. are good provisions.