    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [May 2, 1996]
    [Page 684]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Senate Action on Immigration Legislation
    May 2, 1996

        The Senate has taken an important step today by passing with
    bipartisan support the Immigration Control and Financial Responsibility
    Act of 1996, important legislation which ratifies my administration's
    comprehensive immigration strategy to reverse decades of neglect and
    restore the rule of law to our immigration system.
        This bill builds upon the historic progress we are making. Over the
    last 3 years, I have directed my administration to use every tool at its
    disposal to crack down on illegal immigration and to reintroduce the
    rule of law at the border and in the workplace. We have made illegal
    crossings at the Southwest border tougher than ever before by increasing
    manpower by 50 percent and employing state-of-the-art technology. We are
    deporting record numbers of criminal and other illegal aliens from the
    United States, and we have put teeth into our immigration laws in the
    workplace. Earlier this year, I signed an Executive order barring
    employers who knowingly hire illegal workers from receiving Federal
    contracts.
        I am pleased that the Senate has endorsed our strategy with
    legislation that answers my administration's call for tougher penalties
    for alien smugglers, criminal aliens, and manufacturers and sellers of
    fraudulent documents. The Senate bill also supports our plan to continue
    to increase the size of our Border Patrol and provides the Justice
    Department with new tools to fight illegal immigration. While this bill
    strongly supports our enforcement efforts, it still goes too far in
    denying legal immigrants access to vital safety net programs which could
    jeopardize public health and safety. Some work still needs to be done. I
    urge the Congress to move quickly to finalize and send me this key
    legislation.