[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 80 (Wednesday, June 22, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                          ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 22, 1994

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert my Washington 
Report for Wednesday, June 22, 1994, into the Congressional Record.

                          Illegal Immigration

       Hoosiers are increasingly concerned about the effects of 
     illegal immigration on our country. I hear frequently from 
     people who fear that our country is being besieged by a wave 
     of illegal immigrants who come here to take jobs from 
     American citizens, commit crimes, or exploit government 
     programs. Their view is that the federal government is not 
     adequately securing our borders.


                      who is an illegal immigrant?

       Aliens who violate immigration law are illegal immigrants. 
     Most illegal immigrants bypass inspection points when 
     entering the country. Some enter the country legally--for 
     example, to seek political asylum or study-but then violate 
     the terms of their stay. The Constitution grants citizenship 
     to children born to illegal immigrants.


                 How many illegal immigrants are there?

       The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) estimates 
     the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. at 3.8 million, 
     and estimates that the illegal immigrant population increases 
     by about 300,000 per year. In 1993, the INS apprehended 1.3 
     million illegal immigrants. About 1.2 million of these were 
     Mexicans. The INS estimates that 86% of all illegal 
     immigrants reside in seven states: California, New York, 
     Texas, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, and Arizona. On the 
     other hand, 29 states were estimated to have fewer than 
     10,000 illegal aliens. In 1992, the INS estimated that 
     between 3,000 and 5,500 illegal immigrants lived in Indiana.


              How do illegal immigrants enter the country.

       Most illegal immigrants enter over land borders by 
     bypassing inspection points. Others enter through inspection 
     points by using fraudulent documents, or are guided into the 
     country by extensive worldwide smuggling rings.


           Can illegal immigrants receive public assistance?

       Illegal immigrants are prohibited by law from receiving aid 
     through the major public assistance programs, such as Aid to 
     Families with Dependent Children (AFDC, commonly known as 
     welfare), food stamps, public housing, and Medicaid (except 
     in emergencies). The law passed by Congress to provide 
     assistance to those affected by the Los Angeles earthquake 
     earlier this year, also restricted disaster relief for 
     illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants may participate in the 
     Woman, Infants, and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition 
     program, Head Start, and the school lunch program. U.S.--born 
     children of illegal immigrants may be eligible for AFDC and 
     Medicaid. In 1992, about to percent of all AFDC benefits--
     $479 million--went to citizen children of illegal aliens. A 
     Supreme Court ruling requires public schools to educate 
     children regardless of their immigration status.


                   can illegal immigrants hold a job?

       No. Employers who hire illegal immigrants are subject to 
     mandatory penalties. But these sanctions have been difficult 
     to enforce and largely ineffective. Critics believe that the 
     employer sanctions have led to employment discrimination, 
     particularly against Hispanic Americans, Of course, illegal 
     immigrants may also be punished for holding a job.


         what is the cost of illegal immigration to the economy

       Some say that illegal immigrants benefit our economy by 
     taking low-wage jobs that no one else will accept, creating 
     new jobs by spending their wages, and increasing tax revenues 
     by paying sales and payroll taxes. Others argue that they 
     cost the country much more by taking jobs from Americans and 
     burdening the public health, education, and criminal justice 
     systems. Local, state, and federal governments spend an 
     estimated $7 billion on illegal immigrants. At least two-
     thirds of this amount goes toward education and emergency 
     medical care. Several states recently sued the federal 
     government for reimbursement for the costs of illegal 
     immigration they incur.


            what is being done to curb illegal immigration?

       With 6,000 miles of relatively open borders, and a force of 
     under 5,000 Border Patrol agents, keeping the illegals out is 
     extremely difficult. Funding for the Border Patrol has 
     increased by more than 100% since 1986.
       President Clinton has requested a $327 million increase in 
     funding for the INS in 1995. These funds would be focused on 
     strengthening border control, particularly in the Southwest, 
     and increasing enforcement of sanctions against employers who 
     hire illegal aliens. The President's goal is to add more than 
     1,000 new Border Patrol agents by the end of 1995. In 
     addition, the plan calls for 200 new Immigration Inspectors 
     to staff inspection points. The proposal also calls for 
     tightening employment sanctions by making work authorization 
     documents harder to counterfeit, focusing investigations on 
     industries which have historically employed illegal labor, 
     and providing better information to employers on their legal 
     obligations.
       The INS has proposed regulations to tighten the asylum 
     process. The crime bills passed by the House and Senate 
     increase the penalties for crimes involving immigration 
     documents. The State Department is currently in the process 
     of improving access to visa eligibility information for its 
     consular offices around the world, so that decisions on 
     whether to admit or deny admission to the U.S. can be made 
     based on the most comprehensive and up-to-date information. 
     In addition, the INS has initiated a program in some foreign 
     airports to screen U.S.-bound passengers to prevent 
     unqualified aliens from travelling by air to this country. In 
     addition, construction is now proceeding on fences in certain 
     key locations along the U.S.-Mexico border. In San Diego, 14 
     of the 15 miles of open border between the Pacific Ocean and 
     nearby mountains have been fenced. Where the fence has been 
     completed, illegal entries and other crimes have dropped 
     sharply.
       Other suggestions include prosecuting smugglers more 
     vigorously, using U.S. military forces to assist in border 
     enforcement efforts, charging a border toll for everyone 
     entering the U.S., or requiring all U.S. citizens to carry an 
     identification card. Another proposal would amend the 
     Constitution so that children born to illegal immigrants 
     would not automatically receive citizenship.


                                outlook.

       It is clear that border security is currently inadequate, 
     and that improvements must be made. The long-term solution to 
     the problem of illegal immigration, though, lies in the 
     answer to the question, ``Why do illegal immigrants come 
     here?'' We can improve border enforcement, strictly limit 
     financial assistance, and punish employers who hire illegal 
     aliens. But there is broad agreement that in the long run the 
     solution to our illegal immigration problems depends on 
     expanding economic opportunities in the countries from which 
     immigrants come.

                          ____________________