[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 25015]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           SUPPORTING 287(g)

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support and the 
support of Arkansas' Third District residents for the 287(g) program.
  Two years ago, Benton and Washington County Sheriff's Departments and 
the cities of Rogers and Springdale sent 19 northwest Arkansas officers 
and deputies for training in the identification and possible detainment 
of illegal immigrant offenders they encounter during their regular 
daily law enforcement activities. I thank Rogers' Mayor Steve Womack in 
being a driving force behind this task force. His leadership has been 
instrumental in cracking down on illegal immigrants in northwest 
Arkansas.
  Thanks to these law enforcement personnel, more than 1,500 illegal 
aliens have been arrested and have or are in the process of being 
deported in northwest Arkansas. 287(g) has a proven track record of 
success nationwide. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement 
Agency, since January of 2007, the program is credited with identifying 
more than 100,000 potentially removable aliens, mostly at local jails. 
The numbers tell the story. 287(g) is an effective program, and that is 
why I'm a champion for it.
  This week, I signed a letter to President Obama showing my support 
for the 287(g) program and asking that the funding be continued. I 
believe that Federal, State, and local cooperation is key to combating 
illegal immigration, and continuing the 287(g) program is a commonsense 
solution.

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