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I am pleased to transmit today for your immediate consideration
and enactment the "Immigration Enforcement Improvements Act of 1995."
This legislative proposal builds on the Administration's FY 1996 Budget
initiatives and complements the Presidential Memorandum I signed on
February 7, 1995, which directs heads of executive departments and
agencies to strengthen control of our borders, increase worksite
enforce- ment, improve employment authorization verification, and expand
the capability of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to
identify criminal aliens and remove them from the United States. Also
transmitted is a section-by-section analysis.
Some of the most significant provisions of this proposal will:
Authorize the Attorney General to increase the Border
Patrol by no fewer than 700 agents and add sufficient
personnel to support those agents for fiscal years
1996, 1997, and 1998.
Authorize the Attorney General to increase the number
of border inspectors to a level adequate to assure
full staffing.
Authorize an Employment Verification Pilot Program
to conduct tests of various methods of verifying
work authorization status, including using the Social
Security Administration and INS databases. The Pilot
Program will determine the most cost-effective, fraudresistant,
and nondiscriminatory means of removing a
significant incentive to illegal immigration --
employment in the United States.
Reduce the number of documents that may be used for
employment authorization.
Increase substantially the penalties for alien
smuggling, illegal reentry, failure to depart,
employer violations, and immigration document fraud.
Streamline deportation and exclusion procedures so
that the INS can expeditiously remove more criminal
aliens from the United States.
Allow aliens to be excluded from entering the
United States during extraordinary migration
situations or when the aliens are arriving on board
smuggling vessels. Persons with a credible fear of
persecution in their countries of nationality would
be allowed to enter the United States to apply for
asylum.
Expand the use of the Racketeer Influenced and
Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute to authorize
its use to pursue alien smuggling organizations;
permit the INS, with judicial authorization, to
intercept wire, electronic, and oral communications
of persons involved in alien smuggling operations;
and make subject to forfeiture all property, both real
and personal, used or intended to be used to smuggle
aliens.
Authorize Federal courts to require criminal aliens
to consent to their deportation as a condition of
probation.
Permit new sanctions to be imposed against countries
that refuse to accept the deportation of their
nationals from the United States. The proposal will
allow the Secretary of State to refuse issuance of
all visas to nationals of those countries.
Authorize a Border Services User Fee to help add
additional inspectors at high volume ports-of-entry.
The new inspectors will facilitate legal crossings;
prevent entry by illegal aliens; and stop cross-border
drug smuggling. (Border States, working with local
communities, would decide whether the fee should be
imposed in order to improve infrastructure.)
This legislative proposal, together with my FY 1996 Budget and the
February 7th Presidential Memorandum, will continue this
Administration's unprecedented actions to combat illegal immigration
while facilitating legal immigration. Our compre- hensive strategy will
protect the integrity of our borders and laws without dulling the
luster of our Nation's proud immigrant heritage.
I urge the prompt and favorable consideration of this legislative
proposal by the Congress.