DAYTON'S ACCOUNT

Homeland Security Along Our Northern and Southern Borders

Last month, I traveled across parts of our U.S. northern and southern borders with Canada and Mexico, to assess our security. I saw dedicated federal agents working around the clock on both borders to protect all of us. However, I also found serious gaps in our border patrols, so that vast stretches remain unguarded, and illegal entries go undetected.

By far, the largest amount of illegal trafficking of people, drugs, and other goods occurs along the 1,800 mile U.S.-Mexican border. On the day before I toured U.S. Customs and Border Control operations in El Paso, Texas, 268 illegal aliens had been captured as they tried to sneak from Mexico into the United States. Almost all of them, who had no previous criminal records, were immediately returned to Mexico, where, our agents suspect, most will soon attempt other illegal entries. The lack of detention facilities, people to staff them, and legal system capacity to hold, prosecute, and detain illegal immigrants means that for most of them, there are no negative consequences for their illegal actions. That is one of the most serious failings in our southern border security system, and the Bush Administration and Congress should take immediate actions to correct it.

To our knowledge, there are far fewer attempts at illegal entry occurring along our country’s 5,525 mile border with Canada. There are also, however, far fewer U.S.-Border Patrol agents and less detection equipment and other resources being devoted to security along that northern border. As a result, there are many miles of unpopulated and mostly unguarded territory, where someone could easily sneak into the United States.

Local law enforcement officials in Minnesota’s northern counties and cities told me that they are extremely concerned about the lack of federal personnel and resources in their areas and the drastic reductions in federal first-responder funding to help them increase their efforts. Despite my several amendments to increase funds for the very successful "Byrne" and "COPS" grants, which assist police, sheriff, fire, and other public safety organizations to expand and improve their operations, President Bush and a majority in Congress have drastically reduced federal support for them.

My most recent amendment, which adds $44 million for 236 additional Border Patrol agents in FY 2007, did pass the Senate and is now in Conference Committee with the House. I have written President Bush, asking him to support this badly needed improvement to our northern border protection.

Still, much more remains to be done. Amazingly, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety failed to include the $1.5 million requested by our seven northern border counties in the state’s latest Homeland Security plan to the federal department. It is one reason that Minnesota’s federal funds for Homeland Security projects were cut drastically this year. Overall, our state will receive only $13.4 million, which is less than half of last year’s amount.

The seven Minnesota counties which physically border Canada will receive only $265,000 in federal funds this year, which is 14 percent of last year’s amount.

Those failures by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety are inexplicable and inexcusable. They will cause drastic curtailments in local security improvements, particularly in the upgrading of their communications equipment. It is essential that local law enforcement officials be able to talk with one another at all times and under all conditions, in order to respond immediately and effectively to whatever circumstances might occur. Whether illegal border crossings, detection of a criminal operation, or, God forbid, a terrorist attack, federal, state, and local officials must always be prepared and equipped to act immediately to protect our citizens.

While some improvements have occurred since 9/11, much more remains to be done. I share the frustration of many dedicated Minnesota law enforcement officials that the federal government, despite all of its rhetoric, has actually done far less than it could or should to protect our two borders. I will do all I can, during the remainder of my term, to correct some of those shortcomings.