It is obviously highly undesirable to create a fugitive class in America. We do not want 11 million fugitives. which is what we have at the present time. It could be possible to make arrests and to have deportation orders. But it is unrealistic to say we are going to find the 11 million. and that we are going to have facilities to detain them. If you detain somebody. you have to have a detention facility. You have to have beds. You have to be able to house them until deportation proceedings are concluded. and that takes some time. The approach we have undertaken is to try to have them come forward. and have them come forward in a context where we are not rewarding their illegal conduct. There are people who have waited outside the country for lawful admittance. in some countries. people have been waiting since 1983. Under the provisions of the bill which we passed out of the committee. the 11 million undocumented workers go to the back of the line. They will have to pay a fine. they will have to undergo a criminal background check. they will have to earn their way by working. and if they are out of work. they are subject to arrest and deportation at that point. We are open to suggestions. as to any Senators who have ideas. We are not in concrete.
Keywords matched
undocumented deportation