December 1, 2001
Senators combine terms for border
security measure
WASHINGTON -- Four senators have combined
versions of legislation that would tighten
border security and visa screening in an effort
to pass the bill this year.
Sens. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and Sam
Brownback, R-Kan., joined with Sens. Dianne
Feinstein, D-Calif., and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., to draft
the new legislation, which could be attached to
an appropriations bill to get approval this year.
The legislation would require development of
an electronic database by Oct. 26, 2003, that
would provide foreign-service officers and
federal agents immediate access to
law-enforcement intelligence information.
It would also provide $150 million to the
Immigration and Naturalization Service and to
the Customs Bureau to improve technology, Kyl
said.
The legislation also would:
Raise salaries for Border Patrol agents and
inspectors, and increase the number of INS
inspectors, investigators and Border Patrol
agents.
Require immigration and visitor documents to
be machine-readable with biometrics, such as
face-recognition technology.
Remove a 45-minute deadline under which
Customs inspectors are required to clear
passengers arriving on international flights or
to secure departing flights.
ocregister.com
steve |
