Speech #930057154

Mr. Chairman. the House must adopt House Resolution 382. We must stop this illconceived move by the administration. under section 2 of f the Reorganization Plan. to transfer the almost 1.000 INS forces from their necessary duty of inspection of persons and their documents to prevent the entry of illegal aliens into the United States. As we know. the duties of the INS officers includes the apprehension of aliens who have entered the United States illegally. In 1972. according to figures I obtained Tuesday of this week from the INS office in the Department of Justice. the Service apprehended approximately 506.000 such aliens who have been deported or are subject to deportation. As a comparison. in 1957 the INS apprehended 59.000 such aliens. Eight years later in 1965. 110.000 aliens were apprehended. Then. 506.000 aliens were apprehended in 1972. The growth of the illegal alien problem is obvious. The number of illegal aliens entering the United States since 1957 has increased while the INS has continuously suffered a shortage of manpower to seek out these undesirables who would and who do cause. in many cases. the serious problems the United States faces with increased welfare roles. poor working wages. crime problems and the unemployment of American citizens. I wish to point out in one area of the United States during calendar year 1972 that the Detroit district of the INS was responsible for the rejection of approximately 20.000 aliens who were attempting to come to this country for one or more reasons contrary to the immigration laws and. therefore. against the best nterests of the United States. Instead of transferring the INS officials to other cumbersome duties under the Reorganization Plan No. 2. I urge Congress to strengthen the Service and increase the tools needed to halt the illegal alien problems. Today. the INS reports there is no set figure on the number of illegal aliens residing in the United States although some estimates years earlier were set at from 2 to 5 million. I am told by INS in Washington that the figure is actually closer to 1.014.000 illegal aliens based on percentages of foreign visitors and foreign students who have stayed illegally. along with other factors. These figures are based on the INS comparison with the total U.S. population. I urge that the whole Reorganization Plan No. 2 be thrown out and Congress and the administration work hand in hand with drug law enforcement officials toward a strong drug law enforcement program without curtailing the necessary work of the INS.