[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 90 (Friday, June 25, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CONCERNS ON THE STATE OF IMMIGRATION

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                           HON. MARION BERRY

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 24, 2004

  Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my concerns with the 
alarming state of immigration in this country. As a member of the 
Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, I have heard numerous 
officials testify to the porous state of both our northern and southern 
borders. For example, the U.S. Border Patrol has reported a jump in 
illegal migration rates of 25% to 535,000. In Tucson, Arizona alone, 
the Border Patrol averages daily arrests of 2,000. Border Patrol agents 
continue to be overworked and understaffed. The U.S. continues to add 
millions of illegal aliens to its population. We must start taking a 
hard look at how to handle the influx of people entering into the U.S. 
I believe that any discussion of our immigration policy should begin 
with the security of our borders. As we continue to combat terrorism 
and heightened terrorist threats, we must begin working towards 
solutions to help our agents and secure our borders.
  As the tragic events of 9/11 demonstrated, our immigration system 
needs a major and comprehensive review. Our borders are a security gap 
that must be addressed now. The challenges we face with our immigration 
policy are well known to Congress, the Department of Homeland Security, 
and the Administration. The time has come for us to act now on 
preserving our security and liberty.

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