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November 6, 2001 Gekas Introduces INS
Restructuring Bill Legislation needed
to fix longstanding problems in agency Washington, D.C.--Congressman
George W. Gekas (R-Pa.) introduced today new legislation that
will overhaul the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). The “Immigration
Reform and Accountability Act,” co-authored by Rep. F. James
Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), will restructure the INS into two
separate bureaus. “The rationale for this important legislation is founded on the
conclusions of the 1997 report by the U.S. Commission on Immigration
Reform and by the tragedies of September 11 which have exposed
considerable flaws in our immigration system,” said Gekas. The legislation calls for a split of the INS into two bureaus---one
for border enforcement and the other for immigration processing. “The
INS is suffering from mission overload,” Gekas said. “The ease and
efficiency of modern transportation has created a flow of foreigners to
our shores that is beyond the capacity of the INS to process and
monitor.” The newly formed INS bureaus would be managed by the “Agency for
Immigration Affairs,” a new office to be created within the Justice
Department. “We must elevate the INS to the level of importance it
deserves,” said Gekas. “The new oversight office will have the
experience and the support needed to effectively manage the overwhelming
tasks of immigration processing and border control. The safety of our
citizens, no matter where they were born, is paramount.” The bill also creates the new position of Associate Attorney General
for Immigration Affairs. This will bring uniformity to immigration
policy by funneling reporting to one office in the Justice Department
instead of multiple authorities. “The Immigration Reform and Accountability Act brings
responsibility to a service that has spiraled out of control,” Gekas
said. “We fault not the hardworking people at the INS, but the
inefficient system which suffers from a lack of human resources, modern
technology and an overwhelming, though not always clearly stated, task.
Our legislation lays out the blueprint for a stronger and more effective
agency.” -30- |
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