Speech #1050089924

President. I would like to make several comments on the extension of the provision of section 245(I) which is in the continuing resolution we passed today. This provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act allowed foreign nationals to adjust their status while remaining in this country after either entering the United States illegally or remaining in this country after their visa expired and they became illegal. Either way. these individuals have entered this country without having respect for our laws or have remained here because of little or no respect for our laws. On August 22. 1996. this body passed legislation to attempt to enforce stricter penalties against those foreign nationals that arrive in the United States illegally or remain hidden in the workforce illegally after their visas expire. The law we passed required illegal aliens to leave this country and go through the proper channels of immigration from their homeland or remain here and be subject to a 3- or 10year bar from reentry into our country. The Illegal Immigration Act of 1996 calls for a mandatory 3year bar against that illegal alien from entering this country if he or she has remained illegally in this country for 180 days after April 1. 1997. If he or she remains here for 1 year after April 1. 1997. that bar is 10 years. It appears in just over 1 year from passing this legislation and just at the time the 180 day timeframe kicks innow this body is attempting to provide a loophole for illegal aliens to remain in this country with little or no consequence. I am opposed to this extension. And I will not vote for any legislation that permanently extends the cut off period. What we are doing is rewarding illegal behavior. I sometimes wonder why we have immigration laws that we do not enforce? Our Immigration policy in this country is a mess. We dont have a policy. because if we make one we make exceptions to it almost immediately. Here we are 1 year later and we are providing extensions already.