Gallegly to Visit Mexican Border

Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) and other members of the congressional Task Force on Immigration Reform will travel to the California-Mexico border today for a series of briefings by the Border Patrol.

Gallegly, who has visited the border many times before, says this trip will be a critical one as lawmakers attempt to devise a plan to stop illegal crossings.

“This particular section of border has more illegal crossings than any other border in the world,” said Gallegly, chairman of the immigration task force. “If we are going to provide a good report to the Congress, we have to know the obstacles the Border Patrol has to deal with and hear firsthand from the guys on the line.”

The fact-finding trip will include a tour of the border at San Ysidro and an evening session in which the congressmen will don night-vision goggles to attempt to view immigrants seeking to cross into the United States.

Dorothy S. Meissner, commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, will accompany Gallegly and other congressmen on the field trip.

Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson (D-Woodland Hills) is a member of the task force. But he has meetings with constituents scheduled for Saturday and does not plan to attend.

The immigration task force, created by House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), has been charged with making recommendations on curbing illegal immigration. The recommendations are expected to be sent to the House Judiciary Committee by June 30.

With a goal of stopping as many as 98% of the illegal entries into the United States, Gallegly heads to the border still searching for solutions.

“Is it going to take another fence or three platoons of Marines?” he asked. “Maybe it will take a brigade. I don’t know. . . . My objective is to do what is necessary to halt the flow of illegal immigration. I think it can be done.”