Webb Continues Immigration Enforcement as Cosponsor of $3 Billion Emergency Spending Measure to Secure Borders

Amendment to Homeland Security Bill Includes Fencing, Technology, Detention Centers, Border Agents

July 26, 2007

Washington, DC - Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) today cosponsored an amendment to the Homeland Security Appropriations bill to direct $3 billion in emergency funds to secure the border, including fencing, increased technology, detention centers and additional border agents. The amendment appropriates funds that were part of last month’s tabled immigration reform bill.

“Since the immigration bill was tabled last month, I have made it a priority to fully fund the bill’s provisions for enhanced border security and workforce enforcement,” said Webb. “Today, we were successful in securing these dollars to regain control of our borders and more aggressively enforce the laws on the books.”

The major provisions of the amendment, no. 2412, include:


Border Security:

• The U.S. government must achieve full operational control over 100 percent of the U.S.-Mexico land border.
  
  
• The hiring, training and deploying of 23,000 Border Patrol agents.
  
  
• 4 unmanned aerial vehicles and 105 ground-based radar and camera towers.
  
  
• 300 miles of permanent vehicle barriers and 700 miles of border fencing.
  
  
• 45,000 detention beds to put a permanent end to ‘Catch and Release.’

Interior Enforcement:

• Requires a total of 14,500 new Customs & Border Patrol (CBP) agents through Fiscal Year 2012 – a total of approximately 30,000 CBP agents overall – as well as increased hires of new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

• Addresses the issue of Sanctuary Cities by prohibiting cities from banning the obtaining of information on immigration status by their own law enforcement agencies.

• Builds upon the King Amendment in the House of Representatives, which grants civil liability protection to those who report possible threats to our nation’s transportation system.

• Provides additional funding for Operation Jump Start which maintains a National Guard presence along the Southern border.

• Strengthens current law on criminal aliens to deny immigration benefits to aggravated felons, gang members, terrorists, sex offenders, and child abusers.  The bill also expands the Institutional Removal Program and gives the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the ability to detain criminal aliens for an extended period of time before they can be removed.

• Gives states and local law enforcement new authorities to detain illegal aliens and transfer them into DHS custody.  It also allows state and local law enforcement authorities to use homeland security grants for 287(g) training and provides funding to cover the costs of detaining and transporting criminal aliens.

• Addresses Visa Overstays by requiring DHS to detain aliens who willfully overstay their period of authorized admission for more than 60 days.

• Addresses illegal reentry by increasing criminal penalties and sets mandatory minimum prison sentences for aliens who have been removed and illegally re-enter our country.

• Provides for Expedited Removal by restricting the impact of outdated court injunctions that currently prevent DHS from transferring certain illegal immigrants into expedited removal and returning them to their country of origin as soon as circumstances allow.
  

• Addresses US-Visit and Entry Inspecting by clarifying DHS’s authority to collect biometric entry and exit data at U.S. ports of entry.  It also requires DHS to provide Congress a timeline for implementing US-VISIT at all land border ports of entry.
• Requires DHS to enhance Basic Pilot Program to help facilitate broader us by employers as well as improve accuracy and efficiency.