Speech #1090117396

One specific item I wish to talk about is the need for comprehensive reform. The reason we need it is because of our past experience. when we have had just pieces of comprehensive reform. A quick bit of history: In 1986. we had 3 million undocumented individuals in the United States. and Ronald Reagan put forward an amnesty program. In 1996--we seem to do this in 10year incrementspeople were upset we had 7 million undocumented immigrants in the United States3 million in 1986: 7 million in 1996and we put forward an enforcement program and passed it into law and toughened up enforcement because that was seen as the need and the answer. So we had an amnesty program in 1986. without enforcement. we had an enforcement program in 1996. without some sort of legalized system for people to get into the country. We had 3 million undocumented. we had 7 million undocumented. We are at 2006. and we have 11 million undocumented. and people are saying what we need is tougher enforcement. We did do that in 1996. and we increased the number of those undocumented whom we have in the country. Now we have to increase enforcement. I think we have to do more than just border enforcement. though. We have to do interior enforcement and integrating our tax system and Social Security system along with the immigration system so we can catch people at the workplace. we can catch people in a place where they will be interior in the country and strengthen our enforcement that way. We have to get that done. So we have to strengthen enforcement.