HERCULEAN TASK: INS agents few and far between

Comparable to cleaning the Augean stables or slaughtering the nineheaded Hydra is being an Immigration & Naturalization Service agent in Idaho.

Through most of 2000 and all of 2001, a mere four agents covered 18 counties in southwest and south central Idaho. Finally, earlier this year, three vacant positions were filled, and the final vacant position should be filled soon, bringing the number of agents up to 8--the same number the agency had in 1999.

INS is divided into two sections: service and enforcement. Service is responsible for letting people into the country--its staff in Idaho doubled last year. Enforcement is responsible for removing people from the country who are here illegally--it had to fight just to keep 1999 staffing levels.

According to Officer in Charge Blaine Dahlstrom of the Boise Sub Office, there are simply not enough agents to do the job.

Only one agent covers drug-related cases, the other agents spend most of their time embroiled in the legal process of deporting criminal aliens.

The Boise office receives numerous reports of illegal aliens working and living in our area, but Dahlstrom says he and his agents do not have the time to respond to the majority of reports.

"If we get several reports on one area, or major complaints, we try to get out there," says Dahlstrom.

Dahlstrom says the priority for his agents are criminal cases-instances where illegal aliens broke the law and need to be removed from the country. If someone is a menace to society, they become a priority, but someone who is living and working in the area and not having run-ins with law enforcement is considered low priority right now.

Raids, now called "business surveys," are so time-intensive that Dahlstrom and his agents can rarely conduct them.

Dahlstrom says he was surprised there were no staff additions to INS enforcement after September 11. One of his three criminal agents was pulled to work on terrorist-related issues.

The understaffing is a nationwide problem according to Dahlstrom.

"Even if we doubled our staff, we couldn't start to make a dent in it."