This judiciary document I found about illegal immigration, I did not copy all of it, it was quite long. This was date 1999, before 9/11. It is so hard to believe that here they sat with the power to make some changes, long before this problem had become so big, but they did nothing.

http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/ju ... 494_0f.htm

62–494

2000
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ISSUES

HEARING

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON
IMMIGRATION AND CLAIMS

OF THE
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED SIXTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

JUNE 10, 1999

Serial No. 8


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Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary

For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office
Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402

COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois, Chairman
F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, Jr., Wisconsin
BILL McCOLLUM, Florida
GEORGE W. GEKAS, Pennsylvania
HOWARD COBLE, North Carolina
LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas
ELTON GALLEGLY, California
CHARLES T. CANADY, Florida
BOB GOODLATTE, Virginia
ED BRYANT, Tennessee
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio
BOB BARR, Georgia
WILLIAM L. JENKINS, Tennessee
ASA HUTCHINSON, Arkansas
EDWARD A. PEASE, Indiana
CHRIS CANNON, Utah
JAMES E. ROGAN, California
LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina
MARY BONO, California

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SPENCER BACHUS, Alabama
JOE SCARBOROUGH, Florida

JOHN CONYERS, Jr., Michigan
BARNEY FRANK, Massachusetts
HOWARD L. BERMAN, California
RICK BOUCHER, Virginia
JERROLD NADLER, New York
ROBERT C. SCOTT, Virginia
MELVIN L. WATT, North Carolina
ZOE LOFGREN, California
SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas
MAXINE WATERS, California
MARTIN T. MEEHAN, Massachusetts
WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts
ROBERT WEXLER, Florida
STEVEN R. ROTHMAN, New Jersey
TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
ANTHONY D. WEINER, New York

THOMAS E. MOONEY, SR., General Counsel-Chief of Staff
JULIAN EPSTEIN, Minority Chief Counsel and Staff Director

Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims
LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas, Chairman

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BILL McCOLLUM, Florida
ELTON GALLEGLY, California
EDWARD A. PEASE, Indiana
CHRIS CANNON, Utah
CHARLES T. CANADY, Florida
BOB GOODLATTE, Virginia
JOE SCARBOROUGH, Florida

SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas
HOWARD L. BERMAN, California
ZOE LOFGREN, California
BARNEY FRANK, Massachusetts
MARTIN T. MEEHAN, Massachusetts

GEORGE FISHMAN, Chief Counsel
JIM WILON, Counsel
LAURA BAXTER, Counsel
CINDY BLACKSTON, Professional Staff
LEON BUCK, Minority Counsel

C O N T E N T S

HEARING DATE
June 10, 1999
OPENING STATEMENT

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Smith, Hon. Lamar, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas, and chairman, Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims

WITNESSES

Anderson, Terry, Auto Mechanic, Los Angeles, CA

Armstrong, Tobin, Rancher, Kingsville, TX

Foster, Ezola, Retired School Teacher, Los Angeles, CA, Americans for Family Values

Joyal, Carol, San Jose, CA

Morfin, Angie, Salinas, CA, Mothers Taking Action Against Gang Violence

Morris, Dan, Rogers, AK, Americans for an Immigration Moratorium

Vance, Larry, Rancher, Douglas, AZ, chairman, Cochise County Concerned Citizens

Walsh, Selena, Director of Policy and Communications, League of United Latin American Citizens


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LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING

Anderson, Terry, Auto Mechanic, Los Angeles, CA: Prepared statement

Armstrong, Tobin, Rancher, Kingsville, TX: Prepared statement

Barnett, Roger, Sierra Vista, AZ: Prepared statement

Foster, Ezola, Retired School Teacher, Los Angeles, CA, Americans For Family Values: Prepared statement

Jackson Lee, Sheila, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas: Prepared statement

Joyal, Carol, San Jose, CA: Prepared statement

Morfin, Angie, Salinas, CA, Mothers Taking Action Against Gang Violence: Prepared statement

Morris, Dan, Rogers, AK, Americans for an Immigration Moratorium: Prepared statement

Smith, Hon. Lamar, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas, and chairman, Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims: Prepared statement


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Vance, Larry, Rancher, Douglas, AZ, chairman, Cochise County Concerned Citizens: Prepared statement

Walsh, Selena, Director of Policy and Communications, League of United Latin American Citizens: Prepared statement

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ISSUES

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1999

House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims
Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 1:10 p.m., in Room 2141, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Lamar Smith [chairman of the subcommittee] Presiding.

Present: Representatives Lamar Smith, Edward A. Pease, and Sheila Jackson Lee.

Staff Present: George Fishman, Chief Counsel; Jim Wilon, Counsel; Judy Knott, Staff Assistant; and Leon Buck, Minority Counsel.

OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN SMITH

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Mr. SMITH. The Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims will come to order. First of all, I would like to recognize and acknowledge the presence of so many people who are here today. We appreciate your interest in such an important subject. This is a different type of hearing than the kind of hearing we have had before.

In this situation we have real people who have confronted personally some of the consequences of the illegal immigration that we see in our country, as opposed to having a panel of government witnesses or individuals who have never encountered some of the situations we are going to hear about.

The procedure today is that I will recognize myself and the ranking member for opening statements. Then we will go to our first panel of witnesses. We have a total of two panels, and we expect to be finished before three o'clock. I will recognize myself for my opening statement first.

The Clinton administration has halted the buildup of the border patrol that Congress mandated in 1996. Actions have consequences. Today we are going to learn the consequences of having too few Border Patrol agents to protect Americans.

People familiar with congressional hearings know that the first witnesses are usually high ranking government officials from here in Washington, D.C. Today, however, we are privileged to have witnesses who can speak from their own personal experiences about illegal immigration. Today we hear from the American people directly affected by the lack of immigration law enforcement.

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Some of our witnesses can tell us about the crime that accompanies, illegal immigration, not because they have done academic studies, but because they have watched and suffered as members of their families and communities were victimized by violence and drug trafficking. They can tell us about the burdens placed on public education by illegal immigration because their children bear those burdens.

Some of our witnesses come from parts of our southwest border that have become lawless and violent and dangerous places because the administration refuses to reinforce the Border Patrol. These people live under circumstances that the rest of us can only imagine, with their property invaded and destroyed and their families afraid to go out of the house.

Other witnesses can tell us how good job opportunities in their communities have disappeared as unscrupulous employers hire illegal employees at substandard wages and working conditions. In many communities the quality of life has declined tremendously because of illegal immigration, as drugs and gangs appear in small towns that never had them before.

County budgets are overwhelmed by demands on law enforcement, education, and social services. Jobs disappear. Many long-term residents are forced to move away from the communities where they grew up. Those who appeal to the federal government for immigration law enforcement receive little or no help. Those who protest this rampant and destructive lawlessness have had their motives questioned.

This problem is not restricted to border States like Texas, California, and Arizona. From New York to Nebraska, from Florida to Washington State, American communities are feeling the effects of unprecedented illegal immigration. Conservative estimates indicate that there are at least 6 million illegal aliens residing permanently in the United States, and the number is increasing every single year.

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Meanwhile, the interior enforcement strategy recently unveiled by the Immigration and Naturalization Service effectively gives up on removing illegal aliens from the United States. Except for a small fraction of convicted criminal aliens, illegal aliens have little or no fear that they will ever be deported.

It is widely known that once they get past the border illegal aliens are almost never removed from the United States. This, in turn, of course, encourages ever-greater waves of illegal immigration. Obviously, this situation cannot continue. Either the President will exercise leadership to stem the tide and remove the illegal aliens from the United States, or the present crisis will worsen with grave consequences.

Our witnesses today can shed light on the serious and growing negative impacts of illegal immigration. Their stories and the stories of millions of Americans like them deserve a response.

That concludes my opening statement. I will now recognize the ranking member, my colleague from Texas, Ms. Sheila Jackson Lee.