Washington, D.C., Mar 2 -

Following productive meetings in Washington, D.C. and on the border in recent weeks (the latter meeting having included House Majority Leader John Boehner and Homeland Security Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Michael McCaul), U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce and Sixth Judicial District Attorney Mary Lynn Newell issued statements today regarding the determined fight of Rep. Pearce and local prosecutors to achieve a secure border and safer communities across Southern New Mexico:

“As we seek the resources necessary to prosecute crimes on the border, I am pleased to have a knowledgeable member of Congress fighting with me,” District Attorney Newell said. “When I met with Congressman Pearce in Washington, I immediately learned that I didn’t have to explain the magnitude of the border crisis to him.”

“I further appreciated Congressman Pearce’s efforts in getting Majority Leader Boehner and Chairman McCaul out to the border to hear our concerns,” District Attorney Newell continued. “We desperately need funding to prosecute cases the U.S. Attorney can’t take on – and now, the leadership of the House knows it.”

“Our local law enforcement officials remain on the front line of the border crisis,” Rep. Pearce said. “With refined methamphetamine now coming across the border to poison our children, the urgency to sufficiently fund vital federal programs like the Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas has never been greater.”

“During the coming months, we will increase the pressure on the Mexican government to take responsibility for security on its side of the border. We will also work to ensure the success of bipartisan efforts to secure the border against terror, drug trafficking, human smuggling, and other threats.”