INS and outs

New focus brings much needed improvement

An estimated 5.5 million people throughout the United States can sleep a little easier now. The Immigration and Naturalization Service is shifting its focus away from raiding workplaces and arresting illegal immigrants toward removing criminal aliens, cracking down on alien smuggling rings, document counterfeiters and employers who hire undocumented workers. Almost 14,000 illegal aliens were removed from the country last year. The new focus will be phased in over a five-year period.

Despite a general budget increase to around $4 billion, most of the INS's resources have been geared toward making borders increasingly difficult to cross rather than internal enforcement such as raids on workplaces. The agency's border patrol has almost doubled in size during the past five years.

The new temperament of the INS, while still far from perfect, is definitely a step in the right direction. Any policy that grants some leeway to the bulk of illegal immigrants ought to be welcomed. The United States has always been a country of immigrants in search of the American Dream. Rather than boundless opportunities, however, many illegal immigrants now find themselves in INS sanctioned prisons where groups like Human Rights Watch have sited numerous abuses.

The draconian tactics of the INS, as it enforces harsh immigration laws, have resulted in the detention of thousands of workers arrested in raids on workplaces and criminals convicted long ago of minor crimes. Children who ought to be put into foster care or group homes are being thrown into juvenile jails. Some asylum seekers awaiting their hearings have even stayed at detention centers for months or even years after their first interview.

As the world grows increasingly smaller, it will become harder for the United States to avoid the plights of people outside its borders. One of the best ways the United States can help the world's poor and simultaneously stimulate its own economy is to once again accept immigrants with open arms. Ideally, all immigrants should be granted citizenship. But in the meantime, the INS' new focus away from terrorizing workers themselves ought to be regarded as an improvement.

According to INS insiders, the new policy is not an act of goodwill but rather the result of political reality and an inability to effectively deal with the current population of illegal immigrants living in the United States. Surveys indicate that while most Americans still oppose the actual act of crossing the border illegally, many regard illegal immigrants as hard working people who often take jobs most Americans would not consider doing. On Capitol Hill, powerful lobbies advocating lax enforcement of immigration laws pressure both Democrats and Republicans.

Regardless of the motives lying behind the INS' focus shift, the change is desirable. The INS still has many improvements to make, specifically in ensuring that the rights of those in its custody are not violated. No person should ever have to live in constant fear of the U.S. government and the new goals of the INS likely will result in fewer people having such worries.

03-18-99