Border Leaders Provide Road Map for Real, Effective Border Security

Fixing Immigration System Is Part And Parcel of Improved Border Security.

Washington, DC ­- The National Immigration Forum along with Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva, and a coalition of border leaders hosted a press conference on Capitol Hill to highlight the renewed focus on the border and announce a set of comprehensive policy recommendations to recalibrate security in the region. Led by Congressman Grijalva, the participants emphasized that fixing our broken immigration system is the keystone of improved border security, and that without it, border security can't work effectively.

Border leaders emphasized that there is a "right way" to do border enforcement. Comprehensive immigration reform would further secure our borders and help keep the country safe. A regulated flow of immigrants would take the pressure off the border and scarce enforcement resources would be more rationally focused on real threats to national security, public safety and the flow of people and commerce. Our collective failure to fix the broken immigration system has undermined real and effective border security. In recent years, the federal government has dedicated unprecedented resources to the Mexican border in terms of manpower, technology and infrastructure-and progress has been made to secure our border. However, without fixing the immigration system, more resources on the border bring diminishing returns.

According to Secretary Napolitano, to do its job effectively, the Department of Homeland Security needs reform. The Secretary has said many border enforcement benchmarks set by some members of Congress in 2007 have been met, but "the more work we do, the more it becomes clear that the laws themselves must be reformed."

"Border security cannot be separated from the need for comprehensive immigration reform. A sane immigration and citizenship system needs to accompany smartly targeted law enforcement measures - merely spending billions of dollars on fences is no kind of 'safety' policy," said Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ). "As we discuss how to make our border region a safe place to live, we should remember the difference between organized narcotics traffickers and hard-working undocumented immigrants who deserve an earned path to citizenship."

"The Texas Border Coalition wants to thank Rep. Grijalva for his leadership on the issue of border security. This approach is right on target. We can't just build walls around a broken system - we need to fix it." said John David Franz, Mayor of Hidalgo Texas. "That means a comprehensive solution that fixes our nation's immigration system, increases border security, and contains critical funding for infrastructure upgrades at our land ports of entry so people who want to enter the country legally may do so in a realistic timeframe. It's time for Congress to finish the job."

The comprehensive reform recommendations outlined by the group highlighted how fixing the broken immigration system would benefit border communities. "As businesspeople who operate orchards 40 miles north of the border, and a horse and cattle ranch 30 miles from the border, we live the challenges of the border 24/7," said Nan Stockholm Walden of the Farmers Investment Company of Arizona. "Our family has been in agriculture in this region for more than 60 years. Border and immigration issues are complex challenges that many people wish to oversimplify. What we need is a comprehensive, federal solution-not misguided, piecemeal efforts by individual states that will wreak havoc without solving the root problems."

"We can't have haphazard enforcement measures. We need a comprehensive solution from the federal government that focuses scarce border resources, is accountable to the public, and ensures oversight - with contributions from border communities," said Councilwoman Karin Uhlich, of Tucson, Arizona. "Regular reporting to Congress is essential to assessing effectiveness of border strategies, reporting will also ensure that Congress is kept informed, so it can act correctly and effectively, based on up-to-date and reliable information."

"The leaders here today have highlighted what border communities have been saying for years," said Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum. "We need border security, yes, but that doesn't solve the whole problem. We also need to establish an immigration system that works to get smart, focused security. Everyone who wants an end to illegal immigration should support comprehensive immigration reform because it will solve the problem once and for all."