Speech #1050084207

President. today. I want to bring to the Senates attention an issue of great concern. not only to my home State of Michigan. but also to many other Northeastern States that border Canada. Section 110. a rather small provision of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. has generated waves of controversy here in the United States and in Canada because of its unintended negative impact on trade and travel between the two countries. Section 110 requires the Immigration and Naturalization Service to develop an automated entry and exit system to document the entry and departure of every alien arriving in and leaving the United States. The term "every alien" certainly would be interpreted to include both Canadians and American permanent residents who cross our land borders with Canada. This interpretation conflicts with the decadesold practice of not requiring Canadians to present a passport. visa. or border crossing identification card at the border. As previously described. this interpretation was not intended by the laws authors. My former colleague. Alan Simpson. who preceded me as chairman of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee. and Representative LAMAR SMITH. who is the current chairman of the House Immigration Subcommittee. wrote in a letter last year to the Canadian Government that they did not intend to impose a new requirement for border crossing cards on Canadians who are not presently required to possess such documents. Mr. President.