From the Border: A Post-trip Review

Op-Ed

On January 31, I departed Washington, D.C. with my colleagues, Congressmen Steve Pearce (NM-2), Steve King (IA-5), and Ed Royce (CA-40), to the Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona borders with Mexico. There we evaluated the resources utilized and strategies implemented by the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to combat the problems posed by illegal immigration to the U.S.

The trip provided me with a vast knowledge of the various tools our men and women use every day on the front lines. One such tool is the fencing used to secure our geographic boundaries. At every stop, the first issue discussed was operational control of the border, and each station from Texas to Arizona mentioned that adequate fencing is a top priority. For example, in El Paso we saw the double-layered fencing extending from California to Texas provided for by the Secure Fence Act of 2006. Border Patrol agents thanked the delegation for this much-needed asset in securing vast areas of the border. However, in the horribly crime-stricken Tucson Sector, agents in Nogales stressed the notion that without reinforced fencing, they will never be able to fully protect the Arizona citizens from violent criminals crossing into its territory.

The increased security brought about by a bolstered infrastructure is necessary, but we need more than physical barriers to combat this problem. Advanced technology has aided the mission of deterring and detecting illegal immigrants before they enter our country. Still, a substantial stretch of land goes undetected each and every day. Through forward-operating infrared radars and innovative cameras, agents can track movement at the border. Although the technology is effective in contributing to a decrease in the number of illegal crossings, we need to continue expanding the use of these valuable systems.

At each stop during the tri-state tour, we visited numerous ports of entry where vehicles and individuals entering the U.S. are inspected thoroughly for narcotics and nefarious cargo. The technology employed during these inspections is used in conjunction with highly trained canines to detect narcotics. Our screening process upon entry is strong, but the lack of a departure verification system leaves a gaping hole in our efforts to maintain the integrity of federal immigration law. According to the non-partisan Pew Hispanic Center, roughly half of all illegal immigrants are visa overstays. The US-VISIT Program utilizes biometric data to ensure that people coming to the U.S. are authorized, but without the same verification upon exiting, we are unsure of who has departed and who is staying past their visa expiration.

Experiencing how our federal agents keep our borders secure reinforced my belief that illegal immigration is an ever-present and growing issue in the U.S. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Georgia has approximately 485,000 illegal immigrants -- the seventh largest population in the country. With higher rates of violence attributed to drug and human trafficking on our southern border, it is imperative that we employ every resource available keep our boundaries secure. Not only are drugs and violence a problem, but our struggling economy cannot feasibly provide for the vast number of illegal immigrants who place a burden on our public services.

It is clear that supporting measures like improved fencing, highly-advanced detection technology, and a departure verification system would assist in deterring illegal immigration, which would better enable the Department of Homeland Security in securing the border. Improving our security and enforcing our federal immigration laws will continue to be a top priority for my colleagues and me in the 112th Congress.

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