Feinstein Assails Clinton Over Illegal Immigration
Illegal immigration to California has reached crisis levels, but the Clinton Administration doesn’t get the message, Sen. Dianne Feinstein said at a Senate hearing Tuesday.
“I don’t know what it’s going to take to convince this government that there’s a special problem,” Feinstein told Atty. Gen. Janet Reno, who testified at the hearing on immigration issues. “California is in an emergency situation.”
For the record:
12:00 a.m. March 16, 1995 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday March 16, 1995 Home Edition Part A Page 3 Metro Desk 2 inches; 41 words Type of Material: Correction
Feinstein immigration views--A headline in Wednesday editions of The Times was misleading when it suggested that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) directly criticized President Clinton over illegal immigration. As the article stated, Feinstein was critical of Atty. Gen. Janet Reno.
At the opening of the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration hearing, Feinstein said illegal immigration costs California $3.6 billion a year in social services and prison expenses. In addition, there is a connection between illicit drugs and illegal immigration, she said.
“Ninety percent of the methamphetamine labs in this country are located in Southern California,” Feinstein said. “And 90% of them are run by illegal immigrants.”
The same lax border enforcement that allows illegal immigration also permits massive amounts of cocaine to be regularly trucked from Mexico into California, Feinstein said.
To help stem the flow of illegal immigration, Feinstein called for a $1 fee for crossing the border. Revenues from the fee could be used to hire 3,000 more Border Patrol agents.
Feinstein also proposed establishing stronger prisoner transfer treaties that would require illegal immigrants who are convicted of crimes to serve their sentences in their home countries, and she suggested that penalties be substantially increased for smuggling illegal immigrants and providing false documents.
Such recommendations closely resemble legislation introduced Tuesday by Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration. Simpson’s bill seeks funding increases for border agents, streamlined deportation proceedings and stronger penalties for fraudulent documents and smuggling.
Feinstein asked Reno why a special $100-million reserve is not being spent on beefing up the Border Patrol in the state.
Reno explained that the money is earmarked for massive incidents of illegal immigration.
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