[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 20 (Monday, May 22, 2006)]
[Pages 959-960]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Requesting 
Additional Funds for Border Security

May 18, 2006

Dear Mr. Speaker:

    On May 15th, I outlined to the Nation a comprehensive immigration 
reform initiative with five objectives. As part of my first objective to 
secure our Nation's borders, I ask the Congress to consider the enclosed 
requests for an additional $1.9 billion for the Departments of Defense, 
Justice, and Homeland Security, which is in addition to supplemental 
funding requested on February 16th

[[Page 960]]

for the Global War on Terror and the consequences of Hurricane Katrina. 
This additional amount is offset by a $1.9 billion reduction in the 
amount requested on February 16th for the Department of Defense.
    The revised request for the Department of Homeland Security will 
support my Administration's commitment to gain full control of the 
borders through the deployment of additional Border Patrol agents, 
infrastructure, and technology (such as hundreds of miles of new roads, 
vehicle barriers, tactical communications, and aerial surveillance).
    The request for additional resources, coupled with additional legal 
authority from the Congress, will end the practice of catch and release 
along our southern border once and for all by increasing detention, 
transportation, and removal capabilities.
    The revised request for the Department of Defense will support the 
deployment, in coordination with the Governors, of up to 6,000 National 
Guard members to the southern border. There, they will assist the Border 
Patrol by operating surveillance systems, building infrastructure, 
analyzing intelligence, and providing training until new Border Patrol 
agents and technologies come online. The request increases funding for 
training and other assistance for State and local authorities to support 
the Border Patrol on targeted enforcement missions. The request for the 
Department of Justice will provide additional resources for the 
prosecution and adjudication of illegal immigration cases.
    I designate these proposals in the amounts requested herein as an 
emergency requirement. I urge the Congress to act expeditiously to 
address the security needs along the Nation's borders.
    The details of these requests are set forth in the enclosed letter 
from the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
     Sincerely,
                                                George W. Bush