Speech #1060021879

It has created a resource crisis. The INS does not have any funds to attend to these. so it has been left up to the government of Guam to feed them. house them. and clothe them. Now over 400 Chinese nationals are currently being housed in a Guam facility with a capacity of 150 at a cost of approximately $97 per immigrant per day. The government of Guam estimates that the total expense for apprehending. staffing. housing. and detaining these illegal immigrants from the Peoples Republic has cost the people of Guam nearly $2.5 million. This is a Federal responsibility. No State in the Union would put up with this. There is also a potential environmental crisis as these boats deliberately run aground on our reefs. There is also a potential health crisis. In one shipment of these illegal immigrants. well over half of the illegal immigrants were tested positive for TB. Over the past few days. I have had several meetings. including officials at the Department of Justice. officials in the National Security Council and the White House. and I am happy to report that they have taken some action on this. But the Federal Government needs to take clearly more responsibility over this. It is very interesting to note that. as widely reported in the news about 21/ weeks ago. Guam was considered a possible destination point for Kosovar refugees. It was estimated that Guam may have to house as many as 5.000 to 10.000 Kosovar refugees. Everyone willingly acknowledged that the Federal Government would be responsible for such an eventuality on Guam. Yet. in this particular instance where we are talking about 400 illegal Chinese immigrants for a Federal responsibility. the Federal Government today has not paid the government of Guam and is now only beginning to become engaged in the process. I urge my colleagues to take a good look at this issue. I have introduced H.R. 945 to address the issue of the applicability of the INA to Guam.