Speech #1090053263

This bill establishes a pilot program to enhance tribal first responder capabilities. provide assistance for surveillance technologies and communication capabilities and to facilitate coordination and cooperation with Federal. State. local and tribal governments along the international border. The criteria for participation in the pilot program is to be prescribed by the Secretary taking into consideration the tribes proximity to the border and the extent to which border crossing activity impacts existing tribal resources. This bill is substantially similar to Section 132 of S. 536. the Native American Omnibus Act of 2005. which was unanimously passed out of the Committee on Indian Affairs earlier this year. It has been modified to address several concerns including to clarify that it does not alter the original jurisdiction or traditional role of the Federal agencies responding to border crimes or any Indian tribe. Several Indian tribes inhabit land on or easily accessible to the United States and Canada and Mexico. This bill recognizes that these tribes are exceptionally vulnerable to border crimes. And. although enforcement of our immigration laws and border security is a Federal responsibility. these tribes continue to bear extraordinary costs in responding to border crimes and almost always divert funds intended for local police and welfare services to do so. For example. a tribal police officer may see suspicious drug or immigrant smuggling activity occurring within the Indian tribes boundaries or come upon an accident scene or death involving illegal immigrants or drug smugglers. The tribal officer is required to notify Federal officials and render aid to the injured. The Federal official may be hours away and the tribal police are usually asked to detain the suspects or possibly transport them to medical aid.