Culberson Introduces Bill To Secure Amercia's Southern Border

Press Release

Culberson Introduces Bill To Secure Amercia's Southern Border

Lawlessness along our southern border is threatening our country and demands immediate results. Congressmen John Culberson (R-TX) and Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX) are taking action by introducing the Border Law Enforcement Enhancement Act. This bill would provide $150 million to border county sheriffs and police departments to enforce America's laws.

"The American people are frustrated and outraged about our unprotected borders. We need boots on the ground protecting us from dangerous criminals, drug smugglers, and potential terrorists. Border county sheriffs have assured me they can clean up the border if they are given the resources they need to do their job.

"My highest priority is protecting our borders and defeating any bill that offers amnesty to illegal immigrants. Rather than working on bills that would encourage more illegal immigration and reward people who break our laws, Congress should focus on border security and passing common sense proposals such as the Border Law Enforcement Enhancement Act."

H.R. 2542, the Border Law Enforcement Act, authorizes $150 million in federal funding to pay for the costs of hiring, training, and equipping local law enforcement officials along the southern border. Twenty percent of the funding could also be used to detain, house, and transport illegal aliens who are taken into custody by local law enforcement. Border county sheriffs can have additional deputies on the ground within 90 days of this bill becoming law, while it takes up to two years to train and deploy additional Border Patrol Agents.

Culberson and Rodriguez worked in cooperation with the Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition, the Southwest Border Sheriff's Coalition, and police departments along the southern border to create this legislation, which implements a secondary line of defense to back up Border Patrol Agents.

There are an estimated 12 - 20 million illegal immigrants in the United States and the number increases by 500,000 each year. About 94 percent of all illegal immigrant apprehensions occur along the southern border. The border region is also a major corridor for the shipment of illegal drugs and approximately 65 percent of all drugs sold in the U.S. are smuggled across the southern border.

The Border Law Enforcement Enhancement Act is endorsed by the National Sheriff's Association, the Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition, and the Southwestern Border Sheriff's Coalition.

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