Counterterrorism Blog

As you know, for quite some time I have been attempting to get our political leaders live up to their respective oaths of office and secure our nation's borders and deal with other areas of the immigration system that have been virtually dysfunctional, to the great peril of our nation and its citizens.

I have been working with staffers and counsels for a number of the members of Congress from both sides of the aisle. Following a couple of the hearings at which I testified this year, Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee approached me and told me that she wanted to address the issues about which I had testified, most significantly the use of fraudulent documents by illegal aliens which also threatens the security of our nation. Several months ago, I was contacted by Rep. Jackson Lee's counsel, and we spent quite a bit of time discussing the issues by phone as well as by e-mails. As a result of the discussions we had, Rep. Jackson Lee agreed to address a number of issues, among them calling for the hiring of additional special agents to investigate fraud schemes by which aliens, including potential terrorists, could receive benefits to which they would not be entitled if all material facts were known by the adjudicators. She also included issues concerning foreign language training; as I have repeatedly stated, "You cannot investigate individuals you are unable to communicate with."

I am greatly encouraged by the Rapid Response Border Protection Act of 2005, H.R. 4044, that she has drafted and is available below. I am also, as you may imagine, proud to have played a role in its conception. Clearly Rep. Jackson Lee has been listening to a number of us who have been given the opportunity and the privilege of testifying before the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims. Download JacksonLeeBorderSecurityBill.pdf

I hope that this represents the first significant step to secure our nation's borders and defend our nation against terrorists, drug traffickers, members of violent gangs and other criminals whose presence in our country represents a serious threat to the security of our nation and the lives of our citizens. She is deserving of our appreciation for demonstrating her leadership in calling for these measures to help protect our nation.

I am looking forward to continue with my work with her and other members of Congress and their respective staffers and Counsels as our nation comes to terms with the myriad issues surrounding the enforcement of the immigration laws and the security of our nation's borders.

I have pasted a copy of the press release below, and the bill is attached to this post. I hope you find this to be of interest.

CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE ANNOUNCES A TWO-PRONG POLICY FOR AMERICA, INCLUDING THE INTRODUCTION OF A VITAL BORDER SECURITY BILL

Houston, TX � Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee announces a two-prong plan to fix our broken immigration system. The first is comprehensive immigration reform, which would be provided by her Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act of 2005, H.R. 2092. According to Congresswoman Jackson Lee, �This bill would address a broader range of problems than any other immigration reform bill has addressed in recent years. There are far too many provisions to summarize them in a press statement, but I can mention a few of them. For instance, other bills have provided legalization programs for hard working undocumented immigrants living in the shadows of our society. My bill does that too, but it also provides relief to the many U. S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who have to wait for years to bring family members to the United States. It would raise the present annual limit on family-sponsored immigrants from 480,000 to 960,000. This should substantially reduce the wait for a visa number.�

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee explains the reason for the second prong in her plan, �The 9/11 tragedy has made us painfully aware of the need for security at our border. The second prong in my immigration reform program is a new border security bill, the Rapid Response Border Protection Act of 2005, H.R. 4044. It is strongly endorsed by the organizations that represent the front-line employees who enforce our immigration and customs laws. It was written in close collaboration with T.J. Bonner, the President of the National Border Patrol Council, and other experts in the field of homeland security, such as Mike Cutler, a former agent of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. It would provide Border Patrol agents and other law enforcement officers with the resources that they desperately need to secure our borders.�

The Congresswoman mentions a few of the provisions in her Rapid Response Border Protection Act, �It would require the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to respond rapidly to border crises by deploying up to 1,000 additional Border Patrol agents to States in which a border security emergency has been declared. It would add 100,000 more detention beds to ensure that those who are apprehended entering the United States unlawfully are sent home instead of being released into our communities. It would provide critical equipment and infrastructure improvements, including additional helicopters, power boats, police-type vehicles, portable computers, reliable radio communications, hand-held GPS devices, body armor, and night-vision equipment. And, it would implement provisions designed to ensure that the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection is able to attract and retain the best and brightest employees to enforce our immigration, customs, and other laws along the borders of the United States.�

The Congresswoman concludes that, �We need this two-prong approach if we are going to reform our broken immigration system. Border security will not be enough if we fail to address the other immigration issues such as providing a path to legalization for the 11 or more million undocumented immigrants who presently reside in the United States.�