Speech #680210026

Mr. Speaker. as a matter of fact. the immigration inspectors think they have the situation well in hand regarding the boarding of vessels at ocean ports In the search for aliens entering surreptitiously. The immigration inspectors do this very thing now. They look for stowaways. for instance. The actual purpose of the legislation found here Is to permit the newly established border patrol to take into custody aliens enterinsg surreptitiously if the border patrol. who is to all intents and purposes a border policeman. sees the act of entry. Members will be interested to learn that the border patrol. which was established with a million dollars appropriated directly from the floor here last May or June. is working most effectively. It consists of about 250 armed and uniformed patrolmen on the Mexican border and about 200 on the Canadian border. However. it developed that after they had begun to work effectively they had no power to make arrests. It is not desired that these men should have the same power that the immigrant inspector has to make examinations for entry. The patrol is a police force. This provision is to give them - the power to make arrests when they see the act. and of course that applies to railway cars and possibly boats. The service recognizes it now with respect to boats. but if a boat Is coining in with nlu alien attempting to enter illegally the border patrol sees that alien and takes him before the board of inspectors.