WEST VALLEY : Gallegly Seeks to Boost Border Patrol

Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) on Thursday introduced more legislation to control illegal aliens--a bill to provide an additional 2,000 Border Patrol agents hired from the ranks of displaced military personnel.

The measure, similar to a Gallegly-sponsored bill that died in the last Congress, was partly inspired by defense budget cuts that have led to early discharges for both enlisted personnel and officers, the congressman said.

“Clearly, with more than 3 million more illegal aliens entering our country this year, we need to significantly boost Border Patrol staffing,” Gallegly said in a statement.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service, which has about 4,900 Border Patrol agents stationed throughout the nation, was recently authorized to hire an additional 300, said Virginia Kice, an INS spokeswoman. “The INS already is working with the Pentagon to see what we can do to find placement for early military retirees,” she said.

John Frith, a Gallegly spokesman in Washington, said the legislation calls for hiring military personnel who were subject to involuntary--but honorable--discharges and who have the appropriate skills to handle a Border Patrol position.

Last year, Gallegly, whose district extends into the west San Fernando Valley, introduced a controversial package of bills designed to tighten controls over illegal immigration, including a constitutional amendment that would deny U. S. citizenship to American-born children of illegal aliens.