But this bill is a beginning. It seeks to address the overall problem in a much more comprehensive and practical way. First with regard to border enforcement. The bill doubles the number of Border Patrol agents. It adds 12.000 over 5 years. Senator KYL and I had testimony in the Terrorism and Technology Subcommittee from the head of Border Patrol that today there are 11.300 Border Patrol agents. This more than doubles that number over the next 5 years. It also would add an additional 2.500 new ports of entry inspectors in this same period so that the ports of entry are strengthened and legal immigration is able to be handled in a more prompt manner. It criminalizes the act of constructing or financing a tunnel or subterranean passage across an international border into the United States. Most people dont know this. but this has become a real problem. There are 40 such tunnels that have been built since 9/11. and the great bulk of them are on the southern border. Largescale smuggling of drugs. weapons. and immigrants takes place today through these tunnels. I recently visited a tunnel running from San Diego to Tijuana. and I was struck by the inordinate sophistication of the tunnel. It was a half mile long.
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border enforcement immigrants Border Patrol immigration