The U.S. House of Representatives took the first steps on a journey toward creating a major national security hole from a minor national security problem. With a vote of 405 to 9, the House approved the abolishment of the Immigration and Naturalization Service in favor of creating two separate agencies. One to keep people out and other to bring people in.
The failures of INS are legendary and, unfortunately, most of the legends are 100 percent true. The most recent debacle, and perhaps the last straw for legislators, was the belated approval of four of the 19 hijackers of September 11th to begin working towards their pilot license.
Without a doubt, that is the kind of mistake that would make any rational person’s blood boil but breaking up INS into two agencies will only make matters worse.
W indicated a long time ago that he would reform the beleaguered agency from the inside because it could be done faster and appealed to his sense of accountability. Not to mention that such a plan also appealed to his sense of autocracy. The legislative and judicial branches of government have been an afterthought during the short reign of our Supreme Court appointed leader.
Where have the noble notions of efficiency and accountability gone in the Bush administration?
Since September 11th, being a xenophobic clod has been legitimatized as long as it is in the name of patriotism. Since September 11th, any law can pass as long as it claims to fight terrorism. 2002 is an election year.
Breaking up INS is nonsense. Very expensive nonsense. One might suspect that the administration would have intervened to protect its authority and the President’s word on responsibility for INS. This bill is a mistake that will cost loads of money and possibly lives because it depends on two parts of government talking to each other.
Communication is something that government has proven to be exceptionally inept at accomplishing. Breaking up INS serves election year rhetoric and the bureaucratic protoplasm of welfare to work zombies that will be needed to run the new agencies. It harms everyone else.
This piece of legislation would serve everyone by getting voted down in a Senate committee. We don’t care how it goes away as long as it goes away. The Administration is in a better position to take care of the real reform needed at the INS.
