I The mission of the I.N.S. (Immigration and Naturalization Service), as stated by Chris Sale, commissioner of the I.N.S., is A. enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, including 1. Patrol of the border for illegal contraband and aliens. 2. In addition to enforcement of U.S. labor laws when pertaining to illegal aliens. II Supposed problems of the I.N.S. A. Lack of training 1. According to some, a serious lack of training has caused a number of improprieties within the I.N.S. . But in truth I.N.S. agents are highly trained and dedicated professionals. 2. According to Paul Rodriguez, Commissioner of I.N.S. San Diego, "Each Applicant is subject to 14 weeks of training dealing with firearms handling, arrest procedures, Civil Rights, and stress management. In addition, each applicant is subject to an extensive background check." 3. This is not to disagree with the motion of increasing the training time per applicant, but to inform, that a very thorough program is already in effect. A program that would welcome the prospect of increased training, to insure the safety of both agent and immigrant. B. Lack of accountability 1. It has been stated that, "The complaint filing system is seriously flawed." 2. Which I tend to agree with, when taking into account how illegal immigrants are abusing that system, by way of false allegations. 3. According to the United States Justice Department, " A huge, but undetermined number of Illegal aliens, have filed false complaints against I.N.S. agents. Due to the policy of granting temporary residency to the alleged victim, until the timely completion of an investigation." 4. This policy, as one might imagine , has caused the number of complaints to be artificially increased, due to the personal gain that can be achieved by the accuser. 5. Taking this into account, it is obvious to me, that actual number of legitime complaints must be substantially lower than the amount filed. C. To many different missions. 1. It has been stated that, the diversification of duties of the I.N.S. has taken away from it's prime duty of controlling the flow of immigration. 2. But in truth, the addition of these duties has actually increased the efficiency of the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. 3. The congressional sub. committee on The Immigration and Naturalization has stated "Since the 1986 presidential mandate on drug interdiction, the I.N.S. has shown an increase in both immigrant and drug apprehension. Mostly due to the increased empowerment and funding, made possible by that mandate." D. No outside review process. 1. Some believe that there is a need for a non-agency review board. so that accusations made against I.N.S. agents can be investigated in an impartial manner. 2. But according to Chris Sale national commissioner of the I.N.S. " All accusations made against I.N.S. agents are investigated in an impartial manner, by an internal review board. In addition to this, investigations are performed by local authorities when the allegations are criminal in nature." 3. An outside review board would only be a waste of taxpayer revenue, when one takes into account that two already existing and separate agencies serve this purpose. III Unrepresentative examples. A. The preceding speaker had presented the case briefs of agents Elmer and Esteves as being representative of the I.N.S. as a whole. 1. But in truth, most if not all agents are law abiding professionals, that wouldn't hesitate a second to report these types of misconduct. 2. Border Patrol agent Andrew Himenze stated before the house committee on border violence that " We, acknowledge that these are people trying to make a better life for them selves, and are as much victims of the situation as any one. And because of this, we go to extreme lengths to both enforce immigration laws and treat immigrants with basic respect. It is in the I.N.S.s advantage not to be thought of as a possible source of abuse. If we were, Apprehensions would be much lower due to the higher possibility of fleeing and retaliation by immigrants. An abusive agent is counterproductive to the mission of the I.N.S. and is treated accordingly by their peers. 3. The I.N.S. is an agency doing a thankless job that demands that all of its agents to use the minimal amount of force required in the pursuit of fulfilling it's mission. IV Alleged Corruption A. From the outset I would like to state that the preceding speakers allegation of there being wide spread corruption in INS is completely erroneous. 1. The Justice department has stated in a report to the senate that "Only a tiny fraction of INS agents are corrupt. And the majority of apprehensions were due to reports filed by other I.N.S. agents. " 2. In fact the justice department went on to say that the level of corruption within the I.N.S. was lower than most of the other federal agencies. B. Even though the problem of corruption has been Over dramatized, there is still a need to resolve what problems do exist. 1. Senate believes a large portion of the problem lies within the lack of morale in the INS. 3. By training more extensively, I believe that each member of the I.N.S. will have a more positive image of them self and the I.N.S. 4. While a pay raise will definitely contribute the amount of esprit de core within the INS, which would also include the added bonus of not having agents in financial straits that would cause them to be tempted by bribes. V. Conclusion 1. Increased training would lead to a more efficient I.N.S., and possibly lead to less instances of corruption. 2. The I.N.S should not become a immigration exclusive agency. a. The end result would be three agencies working on related cases that would most likely not be able to work in cooperation, leading to decreased efficiency. b. Also the money that would be spent on reorganization could be better used on more important issues. 3. Lastly I would like to stress that the integrity of the I.N.S. is impeccable, and the following should be taken into account when a decision is made. a. I.N.S. agents are hard working professionals, who's reputation should not be tainted by the actions of a few. c. I.N.S. agents are closely supervised by an internal review board d. I.N.S. officials are held accountable for there actions, and have been disciplined when the situation warrants it. vid-kid