Riordan Criticizes INS for Airport Delays
Mayor Richard Riordan on Wednesday complained that the Immigration and Naturalization Service is taking far too long to process travelers through checkpoints at Los Angeles International Airport.
“The time required for passengers to clear INS inspection upon arrival at LAX has increased significantly since the beginning of the year,” Riordan wrote in a letter to INS Commissioner Doris Meissner. “I have learned that your agency currently reports hundreds of flights every month that exceed your 45-minute limit for processing.”
The mayor wrote that flights at the Tom Bradley International Terminal regularly take more than two hours for primary processing, and delays as long as two hours and 45 minutes have been observed.
Calling the situation “distressing,” Riordan urged the INS to bring in more inspectors to process travelers.
“By failing to achieve desirable levels of service, we run the risk of economic impacts on a regional basis and frustration for the individual traveler,” Riordan said.
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