AMENDMENT OF THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION REFORM ACT

Urging Congress to Amend the Illegal Immigration and Reform Act, Enforce the Side Agreements of NAFTA and Consider Unique Western Problems when Reauthorizing ISTEA

(Introduced by the Trade and Transportation Committee)

WHEREAS, Section 110 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 requires the U.S. Attorney General to develop, by September 30, 1998, a system that will collect a record of departure for every alien departing the U.S., and match the record against the record of the alien’s arrival, and that this requirement would apply to all land borders; and

WHEREAS, strong and important ties link the United States with our land border neighbors, as reflected in trade which exceeds $430 billion annually and in tens of millions of border crossings for business and tourism; and

WHEREAS, the application of Section 110 to our land borders would have a devastating impact on trade and tourism by imposing entry and exit controls not now required; and

WHEREAS, the Congress of the United States has under consideration Senate Bill 1360 which would remedy this threat to cross border trade; and

WHEREAS, Western states support increased trade with Canada and Mexico in the post NAFTA era, but also believe firmly in maintaining the employment, safety and environmental standards required by that agreement; and

WHEREAS, the transportation infrastructure in the West is vital to international trade and tourism and is uniquely affected by the vast distances between urban areas, by large amounts of public land and by poor transportation conditions on many Indian reservations;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of State Governments-West urges the Congress and the Senate of the United States to adopt the language of S.1360, the Border Improvement and Immigration Act of 1997; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that U.S. trade authorities be urged to enforce safety, labor, environment and other side agreements of NAFTA and provide evidence of that enforcement; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that as Congress reauthorizes the Intermodal Surface Transportation and Enhancement Act that it consider unique Western conditions of vast distances, enormous amounts of public land, including poor transportation conditions on Indian reservations, especially in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

ADOPTED BY CSG-WEST EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ON DECEMBER 5, 1997