Edwards Votes to Add 1000 New Border Security Agents on Southern Border Under Bill Signed into Law Today

Press Release

U.S. Representative Chet Edwards supported House passage of the new law that will boost our nation's border security by putting 1000 additional Border Patrol agents, and 250 new Customs and Border Protection agents along the southern border to protect our communities. The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill for Border Security, which Edwards also cosponsored, was signed into law August 13th.

"A nation can't be secure if its borders aren't secure. With this new law, we are continuing to strengthen our border security and helping to reduce violence along the Southwest border to protect our communities," said Rep Edwards. "We are a nation of laws and we have a responsibility to strictly enforce our current immigration laws and crack down on illegal immigration."

Edwards has long been focused on improving border security to protect our communities. He has supported the addition of nearly 9,000 new border agents since 2006, a 73% increase, and he has voted for the laws requiring 700 miles of border fencing. Edwards was also a cosponsor of legislation that passed the House authorizing 1,200 National Guard troops to be placed along our southwest border.

Specifically, the border security law provides $600 million to add the1000 agents and also provides funds to deploy unmanned drones to fly along our southern border and provide our patrol officers on the ground with real-time information on unlawful border crossings. It will also improve communications capabilities between federal border enforcement and state and local officers along the border. It helps Immigration and Customs Enforcement conduct investigations of drug-runners, money-launderers, and human traffickers. And, it provides funding to increase the number of ATF, DEA and FBI agents on our border and to bolster the number of prosecutors and court resources along our border so that wrongdoers can be immediately brought to justice.

The border security law is fiscally responsible and fully paid for, primarily by increasing, over five years, the cost of two visas which permit foreign workers to come and work in the United States. These fee increases would apply only to companies with more than 50 employees AND for whom the majority of their workforce is visa-holding foreign workers.

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