Speech #1090119698

We need to extract out of this group of people who all of us intend to try to treat in the most humane and responsible way we can. however. the ultimate framework of a guest worker program or other programs are developed. we need to separate that group of people from those who have committed crimes. people whom we dont want to be here. That is the purpose of our amendment. We have decided it is important for us to distinguish between the people who do not deserve to be automatically eliminated from consideration for whatever program is going to be adopted here. those people who have actually committed crimes and whom we would not want to bring into the country if we had a choice in the initial instance. in other words. people who would be admittable in the country. certainly people who would be deportable for having committed these kinds of crimes. So clearly if they should not be admitted into the country or they should have been deported for committing certain kinds of crimes. it wouldnt make any sense to allow them then to participate in a guest worker program or to put them on the path to citizenship. That is the essence of our amendment. Of all of the things we disagree aboutwe understand there are manywe think it is important to distinguish between that group of people who otherwise have been lawabiding people and the group of people who have committed crimes. And ironically. most often the crimes these people are in jail for are committed against other immigrants. frequently illegal immigrants. They rape them. They rob them. They beat them up. They hold them for ransom. In all of the big cities in the Southwest. the largest number of crimes are committed by illegal immigrants against primarily illegal immigrants. So to help those who are otherwise innocent from being further preyed upon. we need to remove from this country. not allow them to participate in the program. to remove those people who would continue to prey upon the innocent. That is what our amendment would do.