Speech #960270674

But nevertheless. we stand here today without a solution to this problem. The only solution which is readily at hand is to increase the enforcement capability of the laws that are on the books. If there is ever a need to compliment and commend the agency empowered to enforce these laws. it is certainly the Immigration and Naturalization Service. who. underpowered. undermanned. understaffed. with bad equipment. lack of communications capability. is doing a capable and a very good job. They have the statutory obligation to enforce our immigration laws. yet they do not have the tools that are needed to do so. Until we come up with a different solution. then this is all we have. and it is up to us. I think. in our wisdom to support what they are empowered to do. In supporting these amendments. let me just say that the problem is not just along the border between. say. Mexico and the United States. but there is the problem inland. and there are inland stations for the INS in which they send out their agents to try to apprehend the undocumented aliens. In my area of Camarillo. Calif.. the station there is operating at less than half the manpower strength it had 5 years ago. There are now only five agents and two supervisors assigned to this Camarillo station. and that limited number of agents is expected to cover half of Ventura County and half of Santa Barbara County with an estimated 15.000 to 30.000 undocumented aliens in this area. They are trying to do this particular job with only five agents and two supervisors when they in fact should have twice that many. In essence. they are trying to hold back the tide of the ocean with a broom.