Dear Secretary Ridge:
One year ago, I wrote to Attorney General Ashcroft about the increasing number of aliens who are penetrating the Quad Cities, an area that encompasses three counties and thirteen cities, and is the home of over 360,000 residents from Iowa and Illinois.
In 1996, I helped secure more enforcement personnel for Iowa because of increased criminal activity by illegal aliens. I am frustrated that all allotted positions are not filled, and that agents are transferring to other offices in the country. I am appealing to you for a strong INS presence in Iowa, especially for the Quad Cities area.
I believe enforcement personnel are essential to this area because of its close proximity to Chicago, its gang culture and criminal activity. Interstate 80, the major interstate in the Quad Cities and which runs through many Midwestern states, is an intense drug route.
Not only would I appreciate your support in considering the Quad Cities as a location for more INS enforcement officials, I would implore you to add more service personnel for that area of the state. Because of the cultural diverse background of the current population, and the welcoming attitude by most residents, more immigrants are pouring into the Quad Cities area.
As it stands today, individuals working their way through the naturalization process must travel to either Des Moines or Chicago and sometimes Omaha for paperwork processing. The already lengthy bureaucratic process is made more burdensome by the distance these people need to travel and the expense they incur to comply with the law.
Attached, please find a copy of the language included in the fiscal year 2003 omnibus appropriations bill. Recognizing the growing demands on the INS, Congress has provided additional resources to the agency. Given the level of activity in Iowa, it is appropriate that a fair portion of this new money be directed to an area of the state that needs additional attention.
I look forward to hearing from you, and appreciate your review of the personnel needs in the Quad Cities.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Grassley
United States Senator