D.C. DEAR MR. SCOTT: I wish to confirm the request. made to you by a member of my staff this afternoon by telephone. for information relating to the transfer of responsibilities from the Customs Bureau to the Immigration and Naturalization Service without the prior authorization of Congress. The legal authority for interdiction of contraband into this country is vested by statute in the Customs Bureau. The Immigration and Naturalization Service has the separate authority of restricting the illegal entry of aliens into the country. If these two organizations have cooperated in their efforts along the Mexican border in the past. that is as it should be. But it is a far different matter to transfer to the INS total responsibility for activities which are legally the responsibility of the Customs Bureauspecifically. the interdiction of contraband between principal places of entry on the Mexican border. To be legal. such a reorganization plan must be submitted to Congress. Please send me immediately an explanation of what legal authority you believe exists for ordering the Customs Bureau to relinquish activities which are designated as its responsibilities by law. and for ordering the Immigration and Naturalization Service to take responsibility for activities which it has no legal authority to carry out. In addition. I wish to know the procedure by which you arrived at this decision. and would like to have copies of any evidence which you believe justifies this usurpation of legal authority.
Keywords matched
Naturalization Immigration