Bob Dole: “I am pleased to join today with my distinguished colleague, Senator Simpson, in introducing the Comprehensive…”

“I am pleased to join today with my distinguished colleague, Senator Simpson, in introducing the Comprehensive Immigration and Asylum Reform Act. scope of the problem Mr. President, during the past decade, nearly 9 million people have immigrated legally into our country--a population greater than most States. Unfortunately, millions more have chosen to enter the United States illegally, without our consent. The Immigration and Naturalization Service, for example, estimates that more than 3,000 people attempt to illegally cross the California-Mexico border each night. Nearly 60 percent of them succeed. In 1986, the apprehension of illegal undocumented aliens reached an all-time high of 1.8 million. And in 1992, the number of apprehensions was still staggering--more than 1 million. Of course, illegal immigration has a disproportionate impact on certain areas of the country. In California, for example, there are an estimated 1.3 million illegal aliens, and more than half of these illegals live in a single county--the county of Los Angeles. Not surprisingly, a staggering 10 percent of the 1992 budget of Los Angeles County was spent on providing services to illegal aliens. The Governor of Florida, another State heavily impacted by immigration, has even threatened to sue the Federal Government for reimbursement of the cost of providing services to immigrants, both legal and illegal. Today's bill won't solve these critical problems overnight.”