FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 9, 2006

Isakson Introduces Legislation to Secure America’s Borders
Bill Would Beef Up Manpower, Equipment, Technology Along U.S. Borders

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) today introduced legislation to provide increased manpower, equipment and technology to secure the U.S. border and stop the influx of illegal immigration.

“Our states, our school systems, our hospitals, our farm workers and our citizens no longer have the luxury or the patience for us to delay this issue any longer,” Isakson said. “We must take the necessary steps now to secure our borders, enforce legal immigration and see to it there are consequences for bad behavior.”

Isakson’s bill would authorize 1,500 new Customs and Border Protection agents and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents annually through fiscal year 2011.  This would be in addition to the 2,000 agents per year that were authorized in 2004, bringing the total to 3,500 new agents annually.

Isakson’s legislation also would authorize $1 billion in new funding for the acquisition and maintenance of equipment to secure the border, including remote video surveillance, all-terrain and sport utility vehicles, firearms and night vision technology.

Isakson’s bill would also provide more than $450 million to acquire and maintain a squadron of at least 25 unmanned aerial vehicles with high-tech sensors and satellite communication. This would allow coverage on the border by an unmanned vehicle 24 hours a day. Currently, there is only one unmanned aerial vehicle operating along the U.S.-Mexico border.

On Feb. 22, Isakson led a Congressional delegation to the U.S.-Mexico border, which included stops in San Diego, Fort Huachuca , Ariz., and Manzanillo, Mexico. In Arizona, Isakson viewed the one and only unmanned aerial vehicle operated by Customs and Border Protection. This one vehicle is flown along the border and can detect individuals trying to come across the border illegally. The border protection agents then use the signals from this detection system to catch these illegal immigrants and to stop them from entering the U.S. On the border at San Diego, Isakson was present when scanners detected a pickup truck with a false bed concealing 13 illegals.

“I observed firsthand the fantastic progress we’re making in securing our borders in San Diego and in Arizona. And the keys to this progress are the exact kinds of manpower and technology that I am calling for in this legislation for the entire 2,000 miles of our southern border,” Isakson said.

Among the other key provisions of Isakson’s bill:

• Creates a recruitment and retention program for Customs and Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to reduce the rate of attrition;
• Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to work with the Secretary of Defense to investigate the feasibility of using Department of Defense assets to secure the border;
• Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to investigate the feasibility of deputizing retired federal law enforcement officers for interim use in border security initiatives;
• Authorizes necessary funds for infrastructure improvements at U.S. ports of entry;
• Authorizes funds for the study of vulnerabilities at U.S. ports of entry;
• Authorizes necessary funds for construction and maintenance of access roads along the border;
• Authorizes funds for more federal immigration judges, U.S. marshals, attorneys and support staff;
• Increases penalties for human smuggling, organized gang offenses by illegal immigrants and document fraud; and
• Repeals the adverse effect wage rate, which encourages the hiring of illegal immigrants.

“We are a nation of immigrants, and we should honor every legal immigrant who is here and encourage them to become citizens," Isakson said. “However, we are also a nation of laws. We can no longer delay in dealing with the single largest domestic issue to the people of the United States of America.”

Click here to view the bill or click here to view an outline of the bill.

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