[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 131 (Monday, October 17, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11436-S11437]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BINGAMAN:
  S. 1875. A bill to provide financial aid to local law enforcement 
officials along the Nation's borders, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Border Law 
Enforcement Relief Act of 2005. This bill will provide local law 
enforcement in border communities with much needed assistance in 
combating border-related criminal activity. For far too long, law 
enforcement agencies operating along the border have had to incur 
significant costs due to the inability of the Federal Government to 
secure our Nation's borders. It is time that the Federal Government 
recognizes that border communities should not have to bear this burden 
alone.
  The bill I am introducing today is aimed at enhancing security in the 
border region by giving law enforcement agencies the manpower and 
resources they need to combat border-related crimes. Specifically, the 
bill would establish a competitive grant program within the Department 
of Homeland Security to help local law enforcement situated along the 
border cover some of the costs they incur as a result of dealing with 
illegal immigration, drug trafficking, stolen vehicles, and other 
border-related crimes, and authorizes $30 million a year to carry out 
the program. Funds allocated under the grant program could be used to 
hire additional personnel, obtain necessary equipment, upgrade law 
enforcement technology, and cover overtime and transportations costs.
  Law enforcement agencies serving communities within 100 miles of the 
U.S. border with Mexico or Canada, as well as any other agencies 
located outside of this geographical limit located in an area which has 
been designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security as a ``High 
Impact Area,'' would be eligible to apply for the grants. Priority in 
awarding grants would go to law enforcement agencies serving 
communities with populations under 50,000. Two-thirds of the funds 
would be set aside for the six states with the highest alien 
apprehension rates and one-third for areas designated as ``High Impact 
Areas.''
  It is the responsibility of the Federal Government to adequately 
secure the Nation's borders and prevent the flow of undocumented 
persons and illegal drugs into the country. Despite the fact that the 
Border Patrol apprehends over 1 million people each year trying to 
illegally enter the United States, the number of illegal aliens in the 
United States continues to rise as thousands of individuals enter the 
country through our porous borders. The border region is also a major 
corridor for the shipment of drugs--according to the El Paso 
Intelligence Center, 65 percent of the narcotics that are sold in the 
United States enter the country through the Southwest border.
  By virtue of their proximity to an international border, many of 
adverse consequences of the failure of the Federal Government to 
adequately secure the border fall on the border communities. In 
traveling around the New Mexico-Mexico border region, I have heard 
repeatedly how drug trafficking, kidnappings, human smuggling, and the 
destruction of private property, such as the tearing down ranchers' 
cattle fences, are impacting our communities.
  The United States shares 5,525 miles of border with Canada and 1,989 
miles with Mexico. Many of the local law enforcement agencies located 
along the border are small, rural departments charged with patrolling 
large areas of land with few officers and very limited resources. 
Counties along the Southwest border are some of the poorest in the 
country and are not in the position to cover the additional costs 
associated with illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and other 
border-related crimes.
  According to a 2001 study by the United States-Mexico Border Counties 
Coalition, local law enforcement and criminal justice costs associated 
with illegal immigration exceed $89 million every year. The States of 
Arizona and New Mexico have declared states of emergency in order to 
provide local

[[Page S11437]]

law enforcement with immediate assistance in addressing criminal 
activity along the border. It is time that the Federal Government step 
up and share some of this burden.
  We are making some headway in terms of increasing the number of 
Border Patrol agents along the border. Despite the fact that the 
administration only requested funding to hire an additional 210 Border 
Patrol agents in its 2006 Budget Request, Congress has appropriated 
enough funding to hire and train an additional 1,500 agents. We are 
making some progress, and I am pleased that additional agents have been 
sent to New Mexico, but we must face the reality that much more needs 
to be done and we are a long way off from securing our borders and 
preventing the illegal flow of drugs and undocumented person into this 
country. I believe that this is an area that Congress can, and should, 
be doing more.
  We need more Border Patrol agents, better technology, and a 
comprehensive strategy to meet our security needs. We also need to 
reform our broken immigration system so we are able to more effectively 
target those who pose a threat to our country. However, we must also 
remember the role local law enforcement play in responding to criminal 
activity that occurs in the border region. Increasing funding for local 
law enforcement will help border communities alleviate some of these 
problems and enhance security in the border region.
  Federal assistance is desperately needed to help border law 
enforcement agencies address the unique challenges that arise from 
being situated along an international border and the lack of overall 
border security. I urge my colleagues to lend their support to this 
important bill and give law enforcement the resources they need to meet 
these challenges.
                                 ______