Immigration Issues

GAO Report: Agencies In The Dark On Border

Despite spending billions of dollars cracking down on illegal immigration along the nation's Southwest border, neither the Justice Department nor the Immigration and Naturalization Service knows whether its strategies are working. That's the conclusion of a General Accounting Office report.

  • The GAO chided the agencies for lacking formal methods to evaluate whether the government is meeting the ambitious enforcement goals laid down by Attorney General Janet Reno in 1994.

  • The investigators urged that a "rigorous and systematic evaluation" system be put into place.

  • They did acknowledge "considerable amounts of progress" in areas "where we have mounted our operations."

The multi-pronged enforcement plan -- designed to tighten the 2,000-mile border -- called for deployment of new Border Patrol manpower to frequently used illegal crossing spots and the addition of immigration inspectors at ports of entry. New technologies such as infrared scopes and motion detectors have also been employed.

Source: Associated Press, "INS Can't Tell Effect of Billions Spent on Border Enforcement, GAO Says," Washington Times, December 16, 1997.

Home | Support Us | All Issues | Social Security | Debate Central | Contact Us

Dallas Headquarters: 12770 Coit Rd., Suite 800 - Dallas, TX 75251-1339 - 972/386-6272 - Fax 972/386-0924
Washington Office: 601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 900 South Building - Washington, DC 20004 - 202/220-3082 - Fax 202/220-3096
© 2001 NCPA