BUSH DECISION EXPECTED ON MERGING OF CUSTOMS, INS
President Bush is expected to make an announcement 'in a couple of days' regarding a possible merging of the U.S. Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
If Bush made such a proposal, and it received Congress’s approval, the new agency could fall under the supervision of the Justice Department, officials said.
Bush held a meeting with the Homeland Security Council Tuesday morning to discuss the possible consolidation of the two agencies. White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said Bush had received a recommendation at the meeting, but he would not discuss specifics regarding a consolidation.
A U.S. Customs official said an announcement could come “in a couple of days.”