Tuesday, April 16, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
WE hope immigration authorities don't follow the U.S. Department of Justice's example and let thousands of illegal aliens fall through the cracks.
The Justice Department has declined to prosecute 22,000 illegal aliens who may have purchased phony documents to let them continue to live in the United States. Federal prosecutors said the workload would swamp the district courts.
Fifty five people have been convicted of making millions of dollars in the manufacture and sale of the documents. But the purchasers of the papers have scattered throughout the country.
Justice officials assure us that the Department of Immigration and Naturalization still can deport the illegals. But INS is running out of time on the cases which date from 1990 and it admittedly hasn't even put together a deportation plan . After seven years, the individuals can contest deportation and remain in the country. And, under the rosiest predictions, it will take four months for INS to process the cases.
This sends a terrible message. Although federal officials estimate 4 million illegal aliens live in this country, that figure may be conservative. Other studies show one in seven people in California -- one in 11 nationally -- is foreign born and a great percentage of those did not come here legally..
Nevada had the fifth highest increase in illegal immigration from 1990 to 1994, rising 38 percent. During the same period, California's illegal population rose 1.2 million which placed it ahead of other states in sheer numbers.
The failure to get a grip on illegal immigration is creating a political backlash in this country with demands for tighter borders, fewer benefits for noncitizens and establishing English as the official language. The restrictions could be unfair to those hard-working people who are here legally and could aggravate social and economic disparities. Nevertheless, resentments are rising and voters are demanding federal authorities do something to stem the tide.
We appreciate the fact that 22,000 cases present a formidable challenge to federal law enforcement. But the consequences of doing nothing could be catastrophic. INS has been unable to slow down, much less stop, the flood of illegal immigration, even though Congress has authorized more agents along the border.
If INS follows the example of the Justice Department, thousands of people who have yet to enter the United States will see a green flag --- knowing that if you show up in sufficient numbers, the authorities will bury their heads in the sand.
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