Dianne Feinstein: “For the 14 years I have served on the Immigration Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, I have become more and more…”

“For the 14 years I have served on the Immigration Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, I have become more and more convinced that what we have is a broken system. To me, the word ``comprehensive'' means fixing a broken system. The system is broken in many different directions. In one direction, every year, year in, year out, 700,000 to 800,000 people cross the border looking for hope, opportunity, work, or to reunite with family. They come into this country in an illegal status, and they disappear. There is a portion of our economy that welcomes immigrant labor. They are able to find work. They are able to hide. They are able to falsify documents. I have personally gone to Alvarado Street in Los Angeles and seen where, in 20 minutes, you can obtain a green card, a driver's license, a Social Security card. You cannot tell the difference between a real and a fraudulent document. The border is broken in that we cannot protect it. Secondly, it is estimated that 40 percent of the people here illegally are visa overstays. Some go back after awhile. Some never go back. What does this constitute? It constitutes a silent amnesty because these people exist in America. They are able to work in America. Most are never found by authorities. Those who are found are similar to the Munoz family in San Diego. A few weeks ago, a mother and a father were deported in the middle of the night. They have three American children, the oldest of which is 16. They own their home. They both work.”