Speech #930086531

Section I of the plan established in the Department of Justice a new agency the Drug Enforcement Administration. and permitted the transfer of about 500 drug investigative personnel from the Customs Bureau to the new agency. The second part of. the plan. which would be repealed by H.t 8245. transfers to the Secretary of the Treasury functions vested by law. in the Attorney General or the Department of Justice regarding the inspection of persons and documents. at U.S. ports of entry. This part would have caused the transfer of approximately 900 immigration inspectors from the Immigration and Naturalization. Service in the Justice Department to. the Customs Bureau in the Treasury Department. In the course of the subcommittee hearings on Reorganization Plan No. 2. and subsequently. it became evident that this second part of the reorganization plan was very controversial. It was strongly opposed by union representatives of employees in the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The employees concern. shared by many Members of Congress and myself. was that the transfer of so large a proportion of immigration inspector persomA from the Service at this time would. have a detrimental effect on morale and the ability to perform their important function of policing the entrance of illegal aliens. The Immigration and Naturalization Service is confronted with a. serious problem of illegal entry of aliens into the United States. There are said to be more than a million illegal aliens in the country now. About a halfmillion illegal aliens a yearjudging by 197? figuresare being apprehended and returned. but the service obviously is ndermanned for this difficult job. This problem is particularly acute in_ southern California. Texas. and Arizona as well as other States. As a result of discussions between administration and union representatives. certain understandings were reached and summarized Li written form. The administration agreed to. support. the repeal of section 2 and. subsection 6(b) of the plan. and to make a conscientious effort to expand the number of. and upgrade. positions in the. Immigration and Naturalization Service. The union. then expressed its willingness to withdraw oppozition to the plan. During the floor debate on Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1973. the situation was fully explained and assurances were given that prompt. action would be taken to consider and report a. bill repealing the objectionable part.