FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          AG
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1995                        (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888

      ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET RENO ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL FUNDS
                    FOR NOGALES PORT OF ENTRY


     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a further effort to facilitate legal
entries into Arizona and detect fraudulent documents, $150,000
and nine Immigration and Naturalization inspectors have been
allocated to the Nogales Port of Entry, Attorney General Janet
Reno announced today.
      "The additional funds and inspectors will help commerce and
residents of Nogales by easing traffic congestion at the border,
expediting the issuance of border crossing cards and detecting
fraudulent documents," said Reno.
     In addition, the Attorney General reiterated the commitment
by the Department of Justice and the Immigration and
Naturalization Service to maintain the Nogales Wash tunnel
grates.  She said the department is working with the city to
develop an appropriate mechanism for the federal government to
underwrite the cost of maintaining the grates.
     "Attorney General Reno and I are committed to having the
Immigration and Naturalization Service work very constructively
in the community of Nogales.  This is the way we want to do
things," said INS Commissioner Doris Meissner.  "We believe we
must forge partnerships with communities like Nogales if we are
to carry out the President's mandate to secure our borders."
     Plans to construct the Border Patrol Checkpoint on
Interstate 19 north of Nogales are on hold pending the evaluation
of the impact of the 100 new agents coming on the line in the
next few months.
     "My visits to Nogales have given me a first hand
understanding of the unique burdens it faces as an international
border city," said Reno.  "We are committed to finding solutions
that make sense and continuing our work with the city to address
immigration related problems."
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95-044