[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 101 (Wednesday, July 16, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              LET'S NOT REOPEN THE IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL

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                            HON. RON PACKARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 16, 1997

  Mr. PACKARD. Mr. Speaker, I am outraged by the recent actions taken 
by Attorney General Janet Reno. Friday morning, I read that she 
unilaterally decided to suspend deportation proceedings for hundreds of 
thousands of illegal immigrants. This decision to disregard the ruling 
by the Board of Immigration Appeals and attempt to overturn current law 
through administrative action is simply unacceptable.
  Last year, we took strong and decisive action to curtail illegal 
immigration. Our immigration reform measure specifically raised the bar 
for those facing deportation because previous law enabled millions of 
illegal immigrants to remain in the United States permanently. It was 
an action taken to ensure that only those illegal immigrants who truly 
face an exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to an immediate 
relative remain in this country.
  Now that we have shut the door on illegal immigration, the Clinton 
administration wants to reopen it. We have seen through the great 
failure of the Citizenship USA Program that this administration will do 
whatever it takes to allow illegal immigrants to remain in the United 
States. This most recent action is just another attempt at granting 
asylum for illegal immigrants. Illegal immigration is a growing problem 
and every illegal immigrant should be treated the same under current 
law.
  Mr. Speaker, I have begun circling a letter to send to Attorney 
General Reno opposing her actions to suspend the deportation 
proceedings for illegal immigrants. The law is quite clear on this 
issue and everyone should be held to the standard that Congress set in 
last year's immigration reform bill. Illegal immigration is an enormous 
problem that affects every state in the nation. I encourage all of my 
colleagues to sign on to this important letter.

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