[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 76 (Wednesday, June 14, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H3979]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   ILLEGAL ENTRY INTO TUCSON, ARIZONA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, lawlessness on the border breeds more 
lawlessness in the United States, and failure to protect our borders is 
a national security issue. And I come to you tonight with some 
disturbing news. The threat is even more serious than many Americans 
know.
  Tucson, Arizona is 65 miles from Mexico. I have it here on the map. 
It is shown by the red dot. It is the route to two interstates, one 
going north and south and one going east and west. Just southeast of 
Tucson, Arizona is the University of Arizona Technology Park. On that 
park, which is surrounded by an old-fashioned chain link fence, is a 
technology firm called Raytheon. Raytheon is a defense contractor that 
makes Tomahawk cruise missiles.
  Well, neighbors in Tucson, Arizona have sent me some pictures of what 
appears to be illegal entry into the perimeter of this plant. Here we 
have the chain link fence. This photograph is taken inside the 
perimeter. On these premises, 400 acres, is the Raytheon plant. It is 
true there is another fence around Raytheon that is a fence that is a 
cable type fence that keeps trucks from coming through. But someone, of 
course, could crawl underneath or over that particular fence. And you 
see, Mr. Speaker, there is all types of litter inside the fence. And 
the question occurs, where does this come from? These are trails that 
are similar to what you see along the Texas border where I am from, but 
border towns down in Southeast Texas don't have a plant that makes 
Tomahawk cruise missiles. Tucson neighbors say these trails are filled 
with trash, backpacks, water bottles and clothes. And why is that? 
Well, it seems that the illegals that come from Mexico sneak under this 
fence and hide on these 400 acres until the human smugglers come back 
later and pick them up and transport them throughout the United States.
  Raytheon public relations officials have said well, they hadn't heard 
anything about it from the security. And they have strict security 
procedures to enter that facility. But a supervisor at Raytheon 
security said yes, illegals have been known to come through the 
grounds, but they were just passing through. And some illegals have 
been found working at the Raytheon plant by subcontractors, but they 
were ordered off the premises.
  I would like to show you some more disturbing photographs that the 
Tucson neighbors have sent me. This is a photograph taken inside the 
perimeter of the chain link fence. And you see numerous backpacks where 
illegals have come in to the perimeter, have hidden on the premises. 
When the human smugglers come to pick them up and take them into the 
heartland of America, they bring with them the backpacks that allow 
them to change clothes.
  It is somewhat disturbing to me, Mr. Speaker, that we have this 
contractor that makes Tomahawk missiles that allows this to occur on 
their premises because, you see, lawlessness on the border breeds more 
lawlessness in the United States. And you would think that a company 
that has submitted a border security plan for the Department of 
Homeland Security just 2 weeks ago would be concerned about their 
border too. After all, it is a national security issue.
  I have one more photograph to show you, taken on the same premises, 
but on the other end of the perimeter. A similar photograph of 
backpacks, water bottles left by the people that illegally entered the 
United States. How ironic that it is that they hide on the premises of 
a place and an institution that is trying to protect the national 
security of the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, the Raytheon problems are our problems because the U.S.-
Mexico border is not secure. We have to stop the illegal entry at the 
border between the United States and Mexico. Otherwise, we will 
continue to see these backpacks throughout the United States. And some 
may have clothes, but some may also bring in to the United States 
property and explosives that could damage the United States. It is a 
national security issue. It is a border security issue.
  Mr. Speaker, we have an obligation to the American people and have to 
have the moral will to protect the borders and the dignity of the 
United States.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________