From her press release:
Miller Introduces Legislation Requiring DHS to Develop Strategy for Securing Our Borders
March 31: WASHINGTON – U.S. Congresswoman Candice Miller (MI-10), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, today introduced the Secure Border Act of 2011, which will require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a strategy to gain operational control of the border.
“The first and foremost responsibility of the federal government is to provide for our common defense, which is in the Preamble of our Constitution. Our common defense begins with effectively securing our borders. The American people rightly expect and demand that the federal government take the responsibility to secure our borders seriously. This means preventing unlawful entries, illicit drugs and other contraband from entering our nation.” said Miller. “The men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol are on the front line working tirelessly every day to secure our nation’s border and we all honor their dedicated service to our nation. Because of the wide scope of the current problem, the Border Patrol are far too often undermanned, and in some cases out gunned. The fact of the matter is that our borders are not adequately secured and there is a great need for a clear, concise and effective strategy to gain control of the entire border, as well as measure the effectiveness of our efforts.”
“The Administration has no plans to gain additional miles of border under operational control either this year or next – this is unacceptable. The lack of urgency to confront the problem puts this Administration at odds with the demands of the American people who are calling for a cohesive and comprehensive plan to gain and maintain operational control of the border,” Miller said. “My legislation, the Secure Border Act of 2011, would require DHS to develop such a comprehensive plan to achieve operational control of our borders that acknowledges the challenges and effectively utilizes the personnel and tools needed to finally secure our borders.”
Miller’s legislation would require the Secretary of DHS to produce a plan to gain operational control of the border within five years and taking into account staffing requirements, infrastructure, including pedestrian fencing, vehicle barriers, use of unmanned aerial vehicles, technology and sensors.
The U.S. Border Patrol’s latest strategy document, produced in 2004, outlined the Border Patrol’s strategic goal: to establish and maintain operational control of the entire border of the United States. However, to date, the Border Patrol has established operational control of less than 44 percent of the southwest borderand has reached an acceptable level of security on 32 of the nearly 4,000 northern border miles in fiscal year 2010.
https://candicemiller.house.gov/
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Text of the bill will be available here.
Background:
Detroit News: Miller seeks 100 percent secure borders by 2016
HSToday.com: Secure border act would tell DHS to prevent all illegal entries within 5 years
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