Department Of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2008
Floor Speech
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 -- (House of Representatives - June 14, 2007)
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Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Chairman, this amendment reduces the Office of the Secretary of Management $10.4 million, and increases ICE salaries and the expense account by $9.1 million, restoring the funding that was in the President's budget to fund the 287(g) program.
I chose this account because between 2007 and 2008 budgets, it has increased 60 percent, or a total increase of $89 million. The 287(g) program provides training, technology, and resources to local law enforcement officers to work with the Federal Government, with ICE, to identify illegal aliens who have broken our laws.
This is a voluntary program available to both our State and local governments. Currently, it is implemented in 13 locations. One of the most prominent of these is Sheriff Pendergraf in North Carolina, who has detained and deported 1,900 illegal criminal aliens in the last year.
America saw the very tragic accident that occurred in Virginia Beach that took the lives of two beautiful young women at the hands of an illegal alien drunk driver. And, Mr. Chairman, this individual had been arrested and detained on DUI offenses in the past and was released onto our streets.
I believe that immigration is a Federal responsibility, but we need the help of local and State law enforcement officials. We need to identify the gaps and figure out how to bridge those gaps.
The 287(g) program can also be used to better coordinate with our DMVs; none of us want fraudulent documents used and driver's licenses issued for our States, and can also be used with our Departments of Corrections, so that when an illegal alien has served time in our prisons and jails, they're deported immediately, and there's no additional expense to us.
Contrary to the report language in this bill, by the end of June there will only be $1 million remaining in the 287(g) coffers. Due to the success of this program such as in Mecklenberg, North Carolina, and high-profile cases like in Virginia Beach, there is an increased awareness and an increased demand for this program.
I ask my colleagues to support this amendment, make our communities safer, and allow better coordination between local, State, and Federal governments.
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