Letter To The Honorable Janet Napolitano, Secretary, United States Department Of Homeland Security

Letter

Senator John McCain On The Escalating Violence Along The U.S. Border With Mexico

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) sent the following letter to Secretary Napolitano regarding the escalation of violence along the southwest border of the United States and the death of Robert Krentz, a longtime Arizona rancher.

Below and attached is the full text of the letter to Secretary Napolitano:

March 29, 2010

The Honorable Janet Napolitano

Secretary

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Washington, DC

Dear Secretary Napolitano,

I am gravely concerned with the continued and apparently growing violence along our border with Mexico. Most recently, I was saddened and outraged to hear of the death of Robert Krentz, a longtime Arizona rancher who was found dead on his property near Douglas, Arizona. The federal government must do all it can within its power to curb this violence and protect its citizens from criminals coming across the border from Mexico.

For years, I have called on the President to send National Guard troops to the border in an effort to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and narcotics. Most recently, I supported Governor Jan Brewer's request to place troops along Arizona's border with Mexico. Unfortunately that request was rejected by this Administration. A year later, in light of the recent incidents and the continued growth of drug violence along the border, I am asking you and the Administration to immediately reconsider your position and send National Guard troops to our southern border region.

We must make the security of our borders one of our top national security priorities. The United States must also do all it can to assist the Mexican government in its efforts to combat these violent drug cartels. The prosperity and success of Mexico is essential to the prosperity and success of our own country. We share a border, our economies are intertwined, and we are major trading partners. The U.S. must show its support for our neighbor to the south and support the Mexican people and the Calderon Administration in this fundamental struggle against lawlessness and corruption.

The people of Arizona and the United States demand and deserve secure borders. I hope that you will take a personal interest in ensuring that Arizonans can feel safe and protected on their own property and not live in fear of the increasing violence along the border. I look forward to a swift and decisive response to this situation.

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