Speech #1010095980

State appropriations bill for fiscal year 1990. Despite tight budgetary constraints. this legislation adequately funds important law enforcement agencies that are being required to increase their efforts to combat illegal drugs while maintaining their other statutory responsibilities. I want to call attention to the important work being done by the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the U.S. Border Patrol. The INS and the Border Patrol have been called on to play a vital role in the war on drugs and at the same time deal with the critical problem of illegal immigration to this country. The San Diego District of the INS and the San Diego Sector of the Border Patrol are probably the busiest in the Nation. The per capita alien population is the highest In the United States. The INS and Border Patrol must process millions of travelers. business people. and other legal entrants to the United States. while apprehending thousands of illegal aliens. The task of drug interdiction has grown in importance and complicates the other duties of the Border Patrol and INS. We must provide adequate funding for the complex and growing duties of these agencies. The conference report goes a long way toward meeting these needs.