Two House Republicans said Thursday that they have run out of patience with Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner Doris Meissner, and want her fired if she does not act quickly to improve detention and deportation of illegal aliens, the Associated Press reported.
House Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., sent a letter to Attorney General Reno setting out their complaints and asking that Meissner be replaced "if she is unable to quickly address these enforcement problems."
The White House said Thursday that Meissner continues to have President Clinton's full support and confidence.
Smith and Gallegly said they hoped the letter would kill discussion at the INS of possibly releasing up to 1,500 illegal aliens convicted of such crimes as burglary, assault and drug offenses because of a shortage of detention space.
Smith said he was unmoved by reports that INS field managers would break their budgets unless they released some detainees to make room for offenders with the most serious criminal records. The agency's budget has doubled over the last four years, he said.
An INS spokesman said no criminal aliens had been released and no decision had yet been made on whether any would be.
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