IMMIGRATION REFORM

Recent action by the House of Representatives adopted landmark reform of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

On April 25, the House of Representatives approved with my support H.R. 3231, the Barbara Jordan Immigration Reform and Accountability Act, which overhauls the INS. With a 405-9 vote, the House abolished the INS, replacing it with a new Associate Attorney General for Immigration Affairs within the Department of Justice who will oversee the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) and the Bureau of Immigration Enforcement (BIE), each with specified and separate authorities.

The INS’s mission includes conducting immigration inspections of travelers seeking entry to the U.S. at over 250 ports of entry, regulating permanent and temporary immigration to the U.S., maintaining the integrity of over 8,000 miles of international borders and enforcing our immigration laws in coordination with the law enforcement community. Individuals seeking legal immigration face significant delays in naturalization processing, while the law enforcement community faces tremendous challenges in incarcerating illegal, undocumented individuals and securing our borders, especially at vulnerable locations such as international ports. It is precisely because this mission spans such a broad spectrum that the INS is in clear need of restructuring and reform.

Separating the naturalization and enforcement functions of the agency will help eliminate serious security risks and current inefficiencies. The BCIS will be solely responsible for visa and naturalization processing, and the BIE will be charged with border enforcement, detention and criminal investigations. In addition, the BCIS is required to ensure that unaccompanied alien children are appointed independent legal counsel, consistent with current law.

This is a pro-family and strong homeland security bill. For far too long, responsible immigrants who have tried to go through the proper channels have had their dreams of citizenship denied because of bureaucratic incompetence. All the while, illegal immigrants have been able to escape detection and even use America's freedoms against us, with tragic results. After September 11th, we have refocused on the importance of sound, reasonable immigration policy.

This opportunity for reorganization will allow for vastly improved immigration services and continued enforcement of our laws. With the overwhelming vote in the House, and support from the President, it is my hope that the Senate will act expeditiously in approving H.R. 3231.