Published July 1994 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's-Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd Resisting the Tide Of Illegal Immigration
Recently, I presided over a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing to explore the problems -- including the increasing costs -- associated with illegal immigration in the United States. Illegal immigrants have forced heavy financial burdens on this nation as a whole, and our border states, such as California and Florida, have been especially pinched. Several states have recently taken legal action, claiming that federal mandates have caused them undue financial hardship. These states have all but completely tried to exempt themselves from any of the blame for illegal immigration, pointing the finger of responsibility solely at the federal government. In their testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, the governors of Arizona, California, and Florida decried the problems of illegal immigration and called for more federal funding to reimburse their states for the costs of addressing these growing problems. The Federal government does have a legitimate responsibility to re-analyze and modify its immigration policies. But the problems of illegal immigration are not limited to federal laws and mandates. It is time to realize that border states, as well as the Federal government, bear the burden for helping to stem the swelling ranks of illegal immigrants. In my study of the issue, I found evidence that California. to some extent, encourages immigrants to enter its borders illegally. In a 1993 brochure, the California Department of Health Services promoted a state-administered program entitled "Baby-Cal.•• The brochure invites illegal immigrants to receive pre-natal and maternity care and promises, "If you are not lawfully in the U.S. or have applied for amnesty, MediCal will not report you to the INS" (Immigration and Naturalization Service). The care is free to the illegal immigrants, but is paid for by the tax dollars of legal U.S. citizens. Regrettably, programs such as "Baby-Cal" act like magnets to attract illegals across our borders, making it even more difficult to barricade against illegal immigration. As long as immigrants know that the states will provide free medical care and citizenship for their newborn children, they will continue to be encouraged to enter U.S. borders illegally and take advantage of the hospitality of generous state-administered welfare programs such as California's "Baby-Cal." While solutions to the problem of illegal immigration are far from fruition, it is clear that we need to refocus our priorities. Illegal immigration is a problem that affects all levels of government and threatens government's ability to adequately serve our own citizens. Issuing a blank federal check is no solution to the problem. That is not a responsible or comprehensive answer. It is clear that our country needs to refocus its priorities. Employers, state and local employees, and officials at all levels of government must get serious about the problem of illegal aliens if progress on this front is ever to be made. July 13, 1994