Bill would add hundreds of new and unaccountable Border Patrol Agents
SOUTHERN / NORTHERN BORDER -- The House Appropriations Committee is set to consider a bill that will turbocharge the Trump administration’s deportation force by funneling billions of immigration enforcement dollars to the Department of Homeland Security.
The bill, if passed, would fund the administration’s reckless deportation force by dramatically increasing immigration enforcement and further militarizing border communities.
The bill contains $13.8 billion in discretionary appropriations for Customs and Border Protection – an increase of $1.6 billion.
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$1.6 billion for a border wall along the Southern border
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$100 million to hire 500 new Border Patrol agents;
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$131 million for new border technology;
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$106 million for new aircraft and sensors; and
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$109 million inspection equipment.
Christian Ramirez, Director of the Southern Border Communities Coalition, released the following statement:
“Over the last decade, Border Patrol has grown at an alarmingly rapid rate without commensurate oversight and accountability. This growth has created an environment of corruption and violence that has lowered the quality of life of border residents. To expand Border Patrol staffing is not only misguided, it’s unjustified and it would worsen Customs and Border Protection’s accountability crisis and compound the damage caused by prior hiring binges. Congress must invest our tax-payer dollars in revitalizing border communities by modernizing our ports of entry, increasing staffing for agricultural inspectors to expedite border crossings and implementing accountability and oversight mechanisms inside CBP. Border communities are safe, diverse, and economically critical to this country. Congress should oppose exorbitant spending on border enforcement, spending which is taking place without thoughtful consideration."
David Sanchez, member of the Northern Borders Coalition, released the following statement:
“Adding more resources for DHS and Border Patrol is wasteful, unjustified and absurd. Increased militarization runs counter to data that shows that border apprehensions are at a historic low. Suggesting in a vacuum of information that more border enforcement resources are needed lacks fiscal responsibility and fails to give due attention to revitalizing border communities rather than subjecting tens of millions of border residents to continued suffering from a wasteful, militarized enforcement regime.”