[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.