Homeland Security (Committee Member)

Keeping America Safe

As the most senior female member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Congresswoman Sanchez is committed to protecting America and its citizens. She is a member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, which is charged with securing our nation's land and sea borders, as well as tracking terrorism threats facing the United States.

Improving Maritime Security

In 2006, Congresswoman Sanchez helped pass the Security and Accountability for Every Port Act (or, SAFE Port Act) into law. This law has made substantial improvements to maritime security and helped secure the movement of goods through southern California via the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Through her work on the subcommittee with primary jurisdiction over America's ports, Rep. Sanchez has been able to improve the resiliency of our supply chain and further enhance maritime security. Congresswoman Sanchez embraces a pragmatic approach to maritime security and supports a balance between strong maritime security initiatives and the swift movement of goods that America's "just in time" economy requires.

Immigration Reform

Congresswoman Sanchez believes that all immigration policies must be viewed through the lens of national security. She strongly believes that immigration legislation is in need of broad reform and that meaningful efforts must be made to stop human trafficking across our borders. To that end, she strongly supports full funding of the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, a cost-effective measure designed to identify and remove criminal aliens in the United States. 

Securing our Borders

As a member of the subcommittee charged with securing America's borders, Congresswoman Sanchez has taken a lead role in addressing the Mexican drug cartel violence occurring near our southwest border. In addition to advocating for southbound border vehicle searches to reduce weapons and cash smuggling into Mexico, she has also raised awareness of the risks facing our northern border with Canada and our maritime borders.

Congresswoman Sanchez believes that strong border security can be achieved without compromising America's core civil liberties. To ensure proper privacy and civil protections during border searches of travelers' electronic devices, Congresswoman Sanchez recently re-introduced the Border Security Search Accountability Act (H.R. 216 in the 112th Congress). This legislation would ensure that fundamental civil rights are respected while ensuring the security of our nation's borders.

In 2013, Congresswoman Sanchez introduced H.R. 2872, the Border Enforcement, Security and Technology Act (BEST Act), which would bolster the country’s borders through holistic enforcement, comprehensive security strategies and up-to-date technologies. The bill would ensure that any additional money spent on border enforcement be used responsibly to address legitimate issues.