Speech #940012059

Mr. Chairman. I rise briefly to state my opposition to the Presidents request to rescind $1.3 million of the moneys appropriated for the Immigration and Naturalization Service fiscal year 1975 budget. I am pleased to note that the committee did not approve this request. and I hope my colleagues realizing the importance of the INS toward solving the illegal alien crisis will follow suit and vote down this request. America is contending with a silent invasion of between 4 and 12 million illegal aliens who are posing a dangerous threat to the economic security of this Nation and her people. For example. 1 million of these illegal aliens are employed in jobs which are desperately sought by American workers. The Immigration Service is the primary agency responsible for locating and deporting illegal aliens. Yet despite the severity of this crisis we find this administration directing its misguided budget slasher into the wrong victim. Already this year the INS has been forced to cut back on its apprehension operations due to lack of sufficient funding. and yet we find efforts to trim the budget still further. I feel we should be increasing the INS budget and thus their ability to better deal with the illegal aliens problem. I have introduced legislation H.R. 257 which will provide the INS with 2.500 additional personnel to help them slow the influx of illegal aliens. as well as intensify their efforts at locating those living in the United States. For years the INS has fallen victim to underfunding and staffing yet they have still managed to increase both their apprehension and deportations. the latter increasing by 71 percent in the last 3 years. The illegal alien problem is a grave one. one whose solution must be found quickly. Adequate INS funding will allow them to free the 1 million jobs held by illegal aliens and will allow them to return them to American workers. Adequate INS funding will allow them to deal with projections that the numbers of illegal aliens seeking entry into this Nation will double in the next 5 years. Adequate funding will show to the INS that we in Congress do consider them to be one of our most important law enforcement units. Todays vote could be a step in the right direction in our battle against the illegal alien problem. We must recognize this problem. and intensify our efforts to achieve its effective control.