"This would more than double the number of INS personnel on the ground in Iowa working to crack down on the illegal immigration problem that takes away from all the legal immigrants who wait in line and follow the rules to become U.S. citizens," Grassley said. "We've seen a growing problem in our state, and it's only right that a more equitable share of federal resources be put to work in Iowa."
The Iowa senator said it was his understanding that the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) had sent to Capitol Hill a proposal to place these additional law enforcement officers in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Sioux City. In addition, Grassley said the INS has requested an additional 23 law enforcement agents for the INS district office in Omaha, which also serves Iowa.
These requests must be approved by the appropriations subcommittees in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The subcommittees are led by Sens. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire and Ernest Hollings of South Carolina and Reps. Harold Rogers of Kentucky and Alan Mollohan of West Virginia. Grassley said he will be working to ensure appropriations approval by sometime next month. Funding for these new positions would be part of the Quick Response Team initiative approved this year by Congress.
Grassley has been advocating additional agents and staff for the INS offices in Iowa this fall. He personally appealed to Commissioner Doris Meissner in November, specifying the need for "both enforcement and service people, as well as support personnel." Grassley has made the case that a portion of the additional $170 million provided to the INS to address paperwork backlog problems by Congress this year should also be directed to the need for assistance in Iowa. Grassley said he will continue to seek support personnel for the INS offices in Iowa.
Grassley is a member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration. He was instrumental in winning approval in 1996 for INS offices to be located in Iowa. INS offices in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Sioux City opened in early 1997.