Mr. Speaker. the Immigration and Naturalization Service [INS] recently announced that the estimated population of illegal aliens living in the United States increased by well over 1 million people to a total of 5 million in the last 4 years. This revelation should act as a call to action for all who serve the best interests of our Nation. The Integrity and wellbeing of the United States continues to be under siege from a rising tide of Individuals who. by entering the U.S. illegally and exploiting the rights and privileges accorded to legal residents. demonstrate a fundamental lack of respect for this countrys laws and the rights and commitments of American citizens who honor and abide by them. Mr. Speaker. illegal Immigration continues to have a profound negative Impact on our job market and workforce. our public assistance programs. our educational Institutions. and our health care system. Moreover. massive illegal Immigration places a tremendous strain on the social fabric of this Nation and our societys capacity to continue to welcome generous numbers of legal immigrants to America. The negative Impact of illegal immigration is being felt by not just one or a few regions of the country in particular. it is being felt throughout the Nation--from the rural communities of Nebraska and Iowa to the metropolitan areas of New York and California. Last year. the 104th Congress took a major step toward stemming the tide of illegal Immigration when it passed the most sweeping Immigration reform legislation introduced in recent history. the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. However. it is clear that further steps need to be taken. Mr.
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Individuals who enter the U.S. illegally demonstrate a fundamental lack of respect for this country's laws.