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| Operational Control of the Border |
August 27, 2007 |
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Dear Friends,
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| Rep. Wilson visits with Border Patrol stationed on the border with Mexico. |
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| Rep. Wilson visits with Border Patrol stationed on the border with Mexico. |
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| Rep. Wilson visits with National Guard troops stationed on the border with Mexico. | I spent some time last week with the Border Patrol to find out what is working and what is not along our border with Mexico.
The border is divided into sectors and our sector runs from El Paso all the way across to the New Mexico-Arizona line. Last year, the Border Patrol hired 500 new officers in our section of the border. This year, they will hire another 500. And the Chief in the New Mexico section says that he is not having trouble hiring good people. In fact, last week the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy graduated the largest class ever.
In our section of the border the patrol has arrested 60,000 people this year. That compares to 112,000 at this point last year. The Patrol thinks that the reduction in numbers of people caught is because fewer people are making the attempt.
We should make it harder for people to cross the border illegally, easier for people to get caught and easier for people to be sent back immediately
Gaining operational control of the border is not just about people. It is a combination of people, barriers, technology and policies working together. In built up areas around cities, the border patrol needs good barriers and rapid response times so that they can delay someone long enough to catch them. In more remote areas, shear distance to roads and open terrain gives the border patrol more time to respond if they have the equipment -- like ATVs and aircraft -- to intercept people crossing illegally.
And policies have to be right too. In particular, catch-and-release is over. Anyone who is caught illegally crossing the border will be detained until they are tried as criminals in America or deported to their country of origin.
And all of this needs to be integrated with technology and information systems. Last September, Boeing won a huge Homeland Security Contract to provide the systems to integrate technology and people to maintain control along the border. The first sector that will start operating with this new system is in Arizona. New Mexico is slated to get this technology in 2008.
I'm a little worried that when it gets tougher to cross in Arizona, the traffic will move to New Mexico, which is why I joined Steve Pearce in asking the government to keep the National Guard along the New Mexico border for longer than originally planned.
Not everything that needs to be fixed is in the Homeland Security Department. We need tamper-proof visas so that employers can tell when someone is here legally and can work. There must be a workable system for employers to hire people legally, and strong penalties for employers who intentionally hire people who are not in the country legally.
I support legal immigration and I support operational control of our borders. Based on what I saw and heard last week, we are making significant progress. We need to keep at it.
Good to be home,
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