Richard Shelby: “It is simply impossible, I believe, to control illegal immigration without first reforming our legal immigration system.…”

“It is simply impossible, I believe, to control illegal immigration without first reforming our legal immigration system. One-half of all illegal immigrants enter the country legally and overstay their visa. No amount of effort at the border will stop this. The only way, I believe, to effectively prevent illegal immigration is to reform our legal immigration system. Thus, I believe there is a clear link between legal and illegal immigration. I support Senator Simpson's proposals to reform the legal immigration system, but I am concerned that even his efforts to reduce legal immigration do not go far enough. With all the misinformation and misunderstanding surrounding this issue, it does not seem possible for this body to pass legislation which will, in my view, bring the number of legal immigrants into line with our national interests. The central question, as I see it, is not whether we should continue legal immigration; we should. The problem is not that legal immigrants or legal immigration are bad per se--they are not.”