(Washington,
D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) signed on to a letter to
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano urging ongoing support for
existing and future operations along the northern border. This letter comes
after President Obama’s recent decision to assign 1,200 National Guard troops
to southern border security and the recent Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
standup of additional Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) operations out of Corpus
Christi, Texas.
Also signing the letter
were Senators Kent Conrad, Carl Levin, Max Baucus, Byron Dorgan, Mike Crapo,
Maria Cantwell, Jon Tester, Olympia Snowe, Debbie Stabenow, Bernie Sanders, and
James Risch.
“Any
chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the border security of the
United States is no exception,” the Senators wrote to Napolitano.
“Our northern border should not be a weak link in our homeland
defense. While the two regions face distinct challenges requiring unique
approaches, we need to make sure that both of America’s borders are secure, not
just the southern one. We support strong CBP operations along the southern
border to combat illegal immigration and secure the border. However, we
strongly oppose boosting southern operations by taking critical Border Patrol
agents, CBP funding, and in particular limited assets, like Predator B and
other aircraft, away from the northern border.”
The
letter recognizes the distinct challenges that both regions face, but
highlights the blatant imbalance that exists between the two regions with
regard to border security, an issue which Senator Murray has long been
outspoken about.
The full text of the
letter appears below:
The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Secretary of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
Dear
Secretary Napolitano:
In
light of the President’s decision to assign 1,200 National Guard troops to
southern border security and request an additional $500 million for border
protection and law enforcement activities, and the recent Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) standup of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) operations out of
Corpus Christi, Texas, we write to alert you to our strong ongoing support for
existing and future operations along the northern border.
Any
chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the border security of the
United States is no exception. Our northern border should not be a weak
link in our homeland defense. While the two regions face distinct
challenges requiring unique approaches, we need to make sure that both of
America’s borders are secure, not just the southern one. Though stopping
illegal immigration along the southern border is an important part of CBP’s
mission, it is not that agency’s only responsibility. Many threats,
including smuggling of drugs and controlled goods, and even terrorism, come
from the north. Despite these dangers, CBP guards our northern border
with just a fraction of the staff dedicated to the southern border. We
are concerned about any proposals that would worsen this imbalance.
We
support strong CBP operations along the southern border to combat illegal
immigration and secure the border. However, we strongly oppose boosting
southern operations by taking critical Border Patrol agents, CBP funding, and
in particular limited assets, like Predator B and other aircraft, away from the
northern border. These assets are essential to defending our nation
against smugglers, terrorists, and others who wish to do us harm. While
it may be politically expedient, it would be reckless to weaken our northern
border security in response to the need for more assets in the south. A
strong CBP presence along the northern border is essential to our border
security and must be maintained.
Thank
you for your time and attention to this matter.
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