Readout of Secretary Napolitano's Call with Southwest Border Sheriffs and Police Chiefs

Press Release

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today hosted a conference call with Southwest Border Sheriffs and Police Chiefs to discuss the need for commonsense reform to strengthen border security, building upon the Department's historic gains achieved over the past four years.

"The administration has made increasing border security a clear priority, and the most important thing we can do to build on this historic progress is to pass commonsense immigration reform," said Secretary Napolitano. "Under this administration, we've put more boots on the border than any time in history, and deployed historic levels of technology. There is more we can do, and the bill under discussion in the Senate would invest billions of additional dollars into this already unprecedented effort, and assist in our efforts focus enforcement resources on individuals who pose a danger to national security or a risk to public safety and other enforcement priorities."

During the call, Secretary Napolitano underscored the importance of addressing our broken immigration system to sustain the progress DHS, and its state and local partners, have made in the past four years. The bill being debated in the Senate will strengthen security at our borders by investing in additional manpower, infrastructure, aviation assets, and it funds the procurement of proven, effective surveillance technology along the Southwest border.

In January, President Obama announced key principles for commonsense immigration reform that would invest in the ports of entry, and help officers and agents focus on public safety threats; make it harder for transnational criminal organizations to operate, while encouraging immigrants to pursue a pathway to earned citizenship; hold employers accountable and strengthen the integrity of the immigration system overall.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.

Source