Speech #1090093782

I rise today with my friend from North Dakota. Senator DORGAN. and my friend from Missouri. Senator TALENT. to introduce a bill of critical importance to the security of our borders: the Border Modernization and Security Act of Securing our borders is the first necessary step towards immigration reform. and I believe the legislation I am introducing makes an enormous leap in the right direction. Our bill builds upon legislation we introduced in the last Congress to improve our port of entry infrastructure as well as a lot of good ideas proposed by other Senators in this Congress. and adds some provisions that I think are important to a comprehensive border security and immigration reform effort. The Border Modernization and Security Act increases the number of Customs and Border Protection (.CBP) officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents each by 1000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011. These personnel are necessary to improve our enforcement at ports of entry and within the United States. and increasing the number of these employees goes hand in hand with our recent efforts to increase the number of border patrol agents who are enforcing the law along our international borders. Along this same line. the bill allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to support its border and immigration forces with National Guard personnel and volunteer retired law enforcement officers. provides for an increase in the number of DHS alien and immigration investigative personnel. and increases the number of Deputy Marshals to investigate criminal immigration matters. Increasing the number of DHS employees alone will not solve our border problems. Unauthorized aliens also cause a significant burden on our courts. For example. for the 12month period ending September 30. 2004. 364 felony cases per judge were filed in the New Mexico District. It is apparent how burdensome this number is for my border States court when you consider that the national average of felony cases filed per judge is 88. To help with these high caseload levels. our bill increases the number of DHS immigration attorneys. federal defenders. Office of Immigration Litigation attorneys. assistant US Attorneys. and immigration judges. Increased personnel is only one aspect of our effort to secure the border. Any border security effort must provide DHS personnel with necessary technologies and assets. To that end. our bill authorizes funds for the Department to acquire new technologies. construct roads. fences. and barriers. purchase air assets. vehicles. and other equipment. maintain temporary and permanent border checkpoints. and construct the appropriate facilities to support the increased number of DHS personnel being hired. Such assets are invaluable tools for our CBP and ICE employees. and we must make sure those men and women have what they need.