[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 49 (Wednesday, April 23, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E723-E724]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          INS AND CITIZENSHIP

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. RON PACKARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 23, 1997

  Mr. PACKARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss an issue which 
disturbs me greatly. Just 3 months ago the Justice Department reported 
that the Immigration and Naturalization Service allowed some 180,000 
people to become citizens without fully completing the required 
criminal background checks.

[[Page E724]]

  INS Commissioner Doris Meissner promised that appropriate steps would 
be taken to correct the obvious problems. Mr. Speaker, last week the 
verdict came in.
  In a 140-page report issued by the Peat Marwick Accounting Firm, our 
worst fears were realized. The report found that of the 23 INS offices 
around the country, only 8 were complying with the new procedures for 
screening out criminal aliens. In fact, the report said that it could 
not with any assurance state that INS was not continuing to incorrectly 
naturalize aliens with disqualifying conditions.
  Mr. Speaker, it is bad enough when a government agency is inefficient 
and squanders taxpayer money. But what can possibly be said about an 
agency that is fouling up the most important honor our Nation can 
give--the honor of citizenship.
  There is nothing that should be viewed with more respect than the 
process by which we bestow citizenship on new Americans. We simply must 
improve the integrity of the naturalization process or we risk 
cheapening a privilege that so many have given their lives to protect.

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