FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 10, 1997
CONTACT: Dana Hagerty 202/225-2165
WASHINGTON, DC -- The House of Representatives early today passed a bill to extend the period of time for the Immigration and Nationalization Service (INS) to implement an automated entry/exit system at the nation's borders. Section 110 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 required that a system to match an alien's record of departure with his record of arrival in the United States be in place by September of 1998.
Congressman Collin C. Peterson (DFL-7th District) and other Representatives of border communities have been trying to get Section 110 changed, noting that such a system will cause severe traffic delays at our borders. "This bill that the House passed today extends the implementation deadline for a year, to September of 1999, for land border crossing points," Peterson said. "While it isn't exactly what we were hoping for, it does give us time to hold hearings on the issue -- in fact, we have been promised that hearings will be held next year to try and permanently change Section 110."
The September, 1998 deadline would still apply to airport entries, which the INS has said poses less of a problem. The bill also adds the requirement that the new system may not significantly disrupt trade, tourism, or other legitimate cross-border traffic at land border points of entry.