Border Security
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"Properly securing our borders will not only protect Americans from the threats posed by terrorists sneaking into our country, it will also prevent drug smugglers from bringing illegal substances into our communities."
— Congressman Bart Gordon
The unregulated flow of illegal immigrants across America’s borders poses a serious threat to the country’s national security. Securing our nation’s borders is one of the most important steps we can take to protect American citizens and communities. While increased border security measures over the past three years have contributed to a decline in the number of illegal crossings, it is estimated that more than 500,000 unauthorized immigrants are still coming into the U.S. each year. Not only can terrorists enter our country, but our borders are providing drug smugglers with an entryway. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) description of the drug situation in Tennessee, much of the methamphetamine consumed in the state is transported from Mexico.
Preventing Violence at the Border
According to a 2009 Congressional Research Service report, more than 5,600 people were killed in drug trafficking violence in 2008 in Mexico. The violence has grown and there have been nearly 2,000 drug-related deaths killings in this year. In response, the Mexican government deployed 45,000 of their soldiers to the border to combat drug cartels and criminal smuggling organizations. On March 11th, I wrote a letter to President Obama urging him to complement the Mexican government’s actions by sending an additional 1,000 U.S. Border Patrol agents along the U.S.-Mexico border (letter to President). On June 9th, the Admistration responded, outlining their efforts to stop illegal immigration and drug smuggling, in addition to preventing violence along the border (response from the Adminstration).
Properly Staffing the Border with Agents
The U.S. Border Patrol is our nation’s first line of defense against the entry of illegal drugs and immigrants, weapons smuggling, and terrorists. In 2008, I joined my colleagues in successfully urging President Bush to increase the number of Border Patrol agents. In 2007 Border Patrol had 12,319 agents; today there are more than 17,000. I also support the deployment of National Guard troops to assist border agents with security.
Sealing the Border with Physical and Virtual Barriers
In early May, the Department of Homeland Security reported that 640 miles of the fence along our southwest border had been completed. I was a strong supporter of the law, the Secure Fence Act (press release), which authorized the construction of the 670 miles of 20 foot-high metal fences. I also am a strong supporter of ensuring the virtual fence is built and the U.S. Border Patrol has the necessary technology to stop illegal border crossings. As Chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee, I held a congressional hearing in 2008 (press release) on the Border Security Technology Innovation Act (bill summary), which I introduced with Congressman Ralph Hall (R-TX). The legislation would ensure next-generation border security technology be developed and made available to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). I am currently working with Congressman Hall on re-introducing the legislation in the months to come.
Partnering with Local Law Enforcement
The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks triggered a national debate on the role that state and local law enforcement agencies should have in enforcing our nation’s immigration laws in light of limited resources and immigration expertise. I have been a long supporter of funding for and expansion of Law Enforcement Partnership programs (287(g)programs), which allow DHS to establish partnerships with state and local law enforcement agencies to carry out certain enforcement functions. In June 2008, the Tennessee Department of Safety was accepted into the 287(g) program and began training officers, authorizing them to enforce federal immigration law under DHS’ supervision (news release).
I also support efforts to identify and deport criminal illegal immigrants, and am a strong advocate of Secure Communities, a pilot program started in October by the Bush Administration. The program automatically matches the fingerprints of inmates in local jails against federal immigration databases to immediately identify convicted criminal aliens for deportation.
>> Recent Border Security Press:
- » 06.25.2009
Gordon, House Vote to Pass to Border Security Bill - » 06.04.2009
New International Travel Requirements - » 03.11.2009
Gordon Calls on President Obama to Secure Border - » 12.29.2008
Illegal Immigration Down; More Must Be Done
