Speech #1090054424

But in a postSeptember 11 world we simply cannot tolerate this situation any longer. We stand here today almost 4 years from that terrible date. and we are reminded as recently as just last weekwith the attacks in Londonthat terrorism is a real and tangible threat to the free world. National security demands a comprehensive solution to our immigration system. That means both stronger enforcement and reasonable reform of our immigration laws. We have to confess that we have not devoted the funds. the resources. and the manpower necessary to enforce our immigration laws and protect our borders. Representing a border State with about 1.600 miles of border with Mexico. I can state that for too long Washington has simply taken the attitude that this is a local or State problem. If it is not the duty of the Federal Government to deal with the security of our borders. whose responsibility is it? It is a Federal responsibility. and it is one that has simply been abdicated for far too long. No discussion of comprehensive immigration reform. however. is possible without a clear commitment to and a substantial and dramatic escalation of our efforts to enforce the law. In my capacity as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration. Border Security and Citizenship of the Senate Judiciary Committee. we have held a number of hearings on this issue of border security and immigration enforcement. They have been quite revealing. I will share some of the information with our colleagues because it supports the direction in which this Homeland Security appropriations bill takes us. and puts us one step closer to the final goal: control of our borders and a secure. orderly immigration process. The Department of Homeland Security has testified recently that they do not have operational control over parts of the southern border. That is obvious to those who live and work along that border and represent those States. My constituents have told me as recently as last week when I traveled to south Texas. to Laredo. TX. when I traveled to McAllen. TX. and the Rio Grande Valley that the nature of the immigrants coming across our southern border is vastly different from what it has historically been. For example. over the last 3 years. the number of apprehensions of those designated as "OTM."-other than Mexicanhas doubled from 37.316 in 2002 to 75.000plus in 2004. This year. it is currently 96.000. It is likely that the number will be twice this year what is was last year. The vast majority of these individuals who are apprehended as they come across the border are from countries that you would expect: Mexico and countries in Central and South America. However. the Border Patrol chief. Chief Aguilar. has testified at one of our hearings that 400 aliens from specialinterest countries had been apprehended last year. Some come from countries that support international terrorism.