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http://www.house.gov/hunter/border1.html

Congressman Duncan Hunter's Efforts to Secure the U.S. Border

December 15, 2005: Congressman Hunter successfully adds an amendment to H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Alien Control Act of 2005, mandating that 698 miles of border fencing be erected in five strategic locations along our nation's Southern border with Mexico. The Hunter Amendment passed the House by a vote of 260-159.

October 6, 2005: House passes H.R. 2360, the FY 2006 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, which appropriates $35 million for completion of the San Diego Border Fence.

September, 14, 2005: Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff announces that he will exercise the authority granted to him under the REAL ID Act and require the completion of the San Diego Border Fence.

February 7, 2005: House passes H.R. 418, which grants Secretary of Homeland Security the ability to waive all laws necessary for the construction of the border fence. The Farr Amendment to strip the language was rejected by a vote of 179 to 243.

October 28, 2004: House passes the Ose-Hunter Amendment to H.R. 10, the 9-11 Recommendations Implementation Act. The Amendment grants Secretary of Homeland Security broad waiver authority to expedite construction of the San Diego border fence. The vote passes the House by 256 to 160.

February 2004 to October 2004: Customs and Border Protection staff conduct over 14 meetings/conferences with the California Coastal Commission to find a mutually agreeable solution. No solution found.

February 2, 2004: California Coastal Commission denies U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection's application for a consistency determination (CD-63-03) pertaining to the 3.5 miles of secondary and tertiary fencing from the Pacific Ocean to the International Wastewater Treatment Plant.

July 1, 2003: Fish and Wildlife Service issues their biological opinion for the construction of the final 3.5 miles of the border fence from the Pacific Ocean to Goat Canyon.

July 25, 2002: Congressman Hunter successfully offeres an amendment to H.R. 5005, the Homeland Security Act, stipulating that it was the sense of Congress that the San Diego border fence project is a priority of the new department.

May 23, 2002: The U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service announces that the following assets would be deployed in the El Centro Border Sector and along the Southwest border:

* two specially equipped hovercraft for the All-America Canal;
* deployment of newly formed horse patrol unit for operation in rough territory;
* 10 additional Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue agents, bringing total to 30 agents deployed in sector;
* five additional helicopters and eight new pilots across the Southwest, bringing total to 23;
* expanding the testing of an air-powered pepper ball launcher system in both El Centro and Yuma (first tested in San Diego Sector and used to respond to violent situations avoiding deadly force);
* In Yuma Sector, six "rescue beacon" have been installed which sends a electronic distress signal to the Sector's communications center when button is pushed.

November 26, 2001: Congressman Hunter writes a letter to James Ziglar, Commissioner of the Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS), to stress the importance of completion of the border fence in San Diego and that the INS investigate the construction of a similar fence along the All-American Canal.

July 19, 2001: Congressman Hunter votes in favor of legislation that provides $66 million for the hiring of 570 additional Border Patrol agents nationwide. This increase fulfills a requirement Congressman Hunter included in the 1996 Immigration Bill which authorized the hiring of 1,000 new agents annually over a period of five years. The legislation also provides $6 million for the U.S. Border Patrol Station in El Centro and $3 million for the continued construction of a multi-barrier fencing project in San Diego County.

October 11, 2000: Congressman Hunter includes $5 million in H.R. 4205, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001, for the Southwest Border Fence Project, which constructs fences and road-building projects to impede continued drug-smuggling along the U.S. border region.

June 27, 2000: Congressman Hunter votes in favor of H.R. 4690, the FY 2001 Commerce, Justice, State, Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which provides funding for 430 additional Border Patrol agents nationwide. The legislation also provides funding for several INS construction projects in San Diego and Imperial Counties:

* $3.3 million for the continued construction of a multi-barrier fencing project in San Diego County;
* $3.3 million for the San Diego Border Patrol Station;
* $307,000 for the El Cajon Border Patrol Station;
* $4 million for the El Centro Border Patrol Station;
* $300,000 for the El Centro Detention and Deportation Project.

October 13, 1999: Congressman Hunter includes $4 million in H.R. 2561, the FY 2000 Defense Appropriations Act, for the Southwest Border Fence Project.

May 12, 1999: The Clinton-Gore Administration revealed that, despite a congressional mandate and the funding to hire 1,000 additional Border Patrol agents for fiscal year 1999, only 200 will actually be hired. Congressman Hunter is joined by Reps. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), Henry Bonilla (R-TX) and Lamar Smith (R-TX) as well as Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Phil Gramm (R-TX) at a news conference to announce they will send a letter to the President. Click here to read the press release. Of the 1,000 agents that were supposed to be deployed, 78 were to be stationed at the El Centro Sector of Imperial County --- now the sector may not receive any. The administration does not plan to deploy new agents in San Diego County.

The letter, signed by more than 50 Democrat and Republican Members of Congress, expressed "deep disappointment at the continuing lack of compliance with the congressional mandate to increase the Border Patrol by 1,000 agents per year. Meanwhile, cross-border drug smuggling and alien smuggling continue to cost uncounted lives and damages each year, and terrorists may enter the United States at any time. Additional Border Patrol agents are needed to achieve control in California and Texas, to stop the emerging crisis in Arizona and New Mexico, to combat smuggling along the Florida and Gulf coasts, and to shore up the severely undermanned northern border from New England and New York through the Midwest to Washington state. All this territory is presently covered by only 8,000 Border Patrol agents, a force less than half the size of the Chicago Police Department.

"Experts within your own administration, such as drug czar Barry McCaffrey, and in
academia estimate that at least 20,000 Border Patrol agents are needed to control drug smuggling, alien smuggling, and terrorism. Yet there is no indication that your border strategy recognizes the emergency situation caused by low Border Patrol recruitment and high attrition or is animated by any sense of urgency. The past three months have seen significant deterioration, not improvement, in border security."

February 17, 1999: Despite record apprehension levels and many months of Congressman Hunter calling for hundreds of new Border Patrol agents for Imperial County, the INS announces it will only send 78 agents to the area. There are now approximately 400 Border Patrol agents in Imperial County. As Congressman Hunter has stressed to the INS, the County is second in total apprehensions of illegal immigrants but second to last in border enforcement resources.

February 1, 1999: President Clinton’s $1.77 trillion budget released today proposes hiring no new Border Patrol agents next year. Despite a funding level of $4.2 billion in Fiscal Year 2000 for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) alone, the President’s budget ignores a Congressional mandate for 1,000 new agents next year. Legislation authored by Congressman Hunter in 1996 funded 1,000 new Border Patrol agents per year through the year 2001. “We need to be doing all we can to stop drug smuggling and illegal immigration,” said Hunter. “Now is not the time to disarm.”

November 24, 1998: At a news conference in Holtville, Congressman Hunter called on the National Guard and the Immigration and INS to direct additional manpower, infrastructure and equipment to the border region of Imperial County.

The Congressman stated his belief that the best way to relieve the pressure on services provided to illegals over the long term is to stop illegal immigrants from crossing the border in the first place. In a letter to the INS sent the day before, Hunter stated: "It is my sincere belief that a reactive approach to this urgent situation cannot continue and we must address this evolving crisis with the understanding that Imperial County must receive priority by the Immigration and Naturalization Service."

Congressman Hunter has successfully worked to gain additional funding for INS, Border Patrol and National Guard efforts to control the border. Most recently, the Fiscal Year 1999 omnibus spending bill, H.R. 4328, which passed on October 20, 1998, included an additional $10 million specifically allocated for the INS to procure sensors, motion detectors, remote video surveillance cameras and infrared optics. Hunter's letter stressed that the El Centro Border Patrol Sector must be given preference in deploying this equipment.

Hunter is also seeking funding for new border fencing in Imperial County. H.R. 4328 contained $20 million for the National Guard's efforts to control the border against drug smuggling and other activities. The funding would go towards upgrade and repair of current fencing as well as construction of a second layer of new fencing in some areas. Hunter concluded his request to the INS by calling for a meeting in Imperial County to address these issues and set up a specific timetable to enact solutions.

October 30, 1998: In a letter to INS Commissioner Meissner, Congressman Hunter calls for the immediate deployment of additional border enforcement resources to Imperial County. Recent statistics detail that as the number of illegal immigrant apprehensions have dropped by 50% over the past few years in San Diego County (248,604 in 1998), apprehensions in Imperial County are up by 568% (226,695 in 1998). Yet, there are approximately 2,200 Border Patrol agents currently in San Diego County and only about 330 in Imperial County. Hunter's letter cites the necessity to get to a total force of 20,000 Border Patrol agents---a proposal supported by the Administration's drug czar Barry McCaffrey, to deploy several hundred more Border Patrol agents to Imperial County, as well as the need to alleviate the burden on the County's resources, which have been stretched as a result of services provided to injured and deceased illegal aliens. As detailed in the letter, several thousand more Border Patrol agents would be available today if not for the Administration's opposition to Congressman Hunter's efforts. Click here to read Congressman Hunter's letter to INS Commissioner Meissner.

September 28, 1998: Funding for Fiscal Year 1999 national defense programs gained final House approval. A measure in the bill will add $3 million for the National Guard's continued construction of the border fence and roads in eastern San Diego County.

August 5, 1998: The House approved fiscal year 1999 funding for the INS and the Border Patrol. The Commerce, Justice and State Departments Appropriations Act reorganizes the funding of the INS by separating naturalization and processing activities from border enforcement, increases the number of Border Patrol agents and funds construction of new facilities.

Provisions which Congressman Hunter included in the bill are---

* Funding for 1,000 new Border Patrol agents. This is in line with Rep. Hunter's 1996 legislation which authorized 5,000 new Border Patrol agents over five years. The new agents are to be deployed along the Southwest border in the areas of the highest illegal traffic. 140 new Border Patrol support personnel are also funded.
* As a result of the impact of ongoing illegal immigration in the Cleveland National Forest, the legislation directs the Department of Justice to work more closely with the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management in the forest and other federal land areas near the Mexican border to protect natural and human resources and provide increased border protection.
* The bill recommends that the ambulance service pilot project, established last year in Nogales, Arizona, be expanded to Imperial County. Presently, ambulance services are not reimbursable when the victim is an illegal alien.
* Funding for construction and renovation projects: El Centro Border Patrol Station: $5,603,000 and the El Centro Border Patrol Sector Headquarters: $2,842,000. Planning, site acquisition and design of a new Border Patrol Station in Campo: $424,000. Construction of a new detention facility in El Centro: $4,193,000. Planning, site acquisition and design of a new Border Patrol Service Processing Center in El Centro: $500,000.

May 13, 1998: Hunter introduces H.R. 3858, the Border Protection and Infrastructure Act, which is one of 12 bills to be offered by the Speaker's Task Force for a Drug Free America. Stopping the supply of drugs entering into the U.S. is an integral part of the Task Force's battle plan to win the War on Drugs by 2002. Specifically, Hunter's bill authorizes construction of multiple fences along our Southwestern border, increases the level of our Border Patrol forces (to 20,000 agents by the year 2003 -- currently there are some 7,600 Border Patrol agents) and mandates minimum sentences and fines for violent/evasive behavior at Ports of Entry.

January 5, 1998: Rep. Hunter calls on Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs Deborah Lee to release funding for border x-ray machines. At Hunter's direction $7 million was included in the Fiscal Year 1998 Defense bill to fund x-ray detection equipment for the southwest border. These are the same machines of which General Barry McCaffrey recently stated, "They work---they absolutely work." The X-ray machines can detect drugs as well as other contraband, such as terrorist devices. Although the President signed the defense authorization and appropriations bills into law, the Administration has yet to release funding for the equipment and has opposed the procurement of the x-ray machines claiming that the equipment does not fit into the National Guard's readiness requirements.

Left: Congressman Hunter meets with Gen. Barry McCaffrey.
Right: Hunter inspects truck x-ray detection equipment.

November 19, 1997: The first 'climb-proof' panels of the triple fence are mounted onto pre-set poles. The National Guard fence construction crew has 3,000 additional feet of posts set and ready for panels. The fence is ten feet tall and made of galvanized expanded metal. Welded on top of the fence is an additional six foot "kick-back" of expanded metal panels mounted on a forty-five degree angle facing south.

November 14, 1997: Rep. Hunter announces that the House of Representatives approved FY1998 funding for the INS and Border Patrol. The Commerce, Justice and State Departments FY98 Appropriations Act contains the final allotment of funding ($3.4 million) to complete construction of the triple fence along the San Diego border.

The bill also contains funding for 1,000 new Border Patrol agents. The administration had requested only 500 additional agents for 1998. There are currently 2,450 Border Patrol agents assigned to San Diego County. There are 250 agents assigned to Imperial County (about 80 are temporarily assigned). Appropriations for fence and new agents are in line with legislation authored by Rep. Hunter in recent years.

September 12, 1997: Ribbon is cut at Otay Mountain Road project. The four million dollar construction project was funded by Rep. Hunter to provide Border Patrol access to the rugged wilderness mountain area immediately east of San Diego. Prior to the road enhancement, patrol agents spent as much as four hours of their eight hour shift just getting to their respective patrol areas. Road construction was accomplished by National Guard units from throughout the U.S. and by active duty and reserve contingents of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines from as far away as Guam. Repair bills for patrol vehicles out of the Brown Field Border Patrol Station have been reduced by more that one-half with the road. The road also enhances fire suppression in the wilderness by providing Calif. Division of Forestry fire apparatus access to the region, and the heli-spots that were incorporated into the roads were utilized to save the life of a downed patrol agent the week before the ribbon cutting.

August 4, 1997: U.S. Navy Sea Bee units from the southeastern U.S. and local Coronado personnel begin erecting light poles at the Otay port of entry and begin working their way west to tie in with units that are 'lighting up the border' from the San Ysidro port of entry and working their way east bound. Sea Bee units are augmented by National Guard units and are coordinated by JTF-6.

July 29, 1997: The INS announces the belated assignment of the remaining 286 Border Patrol agents for Fiscal Year 1997. Of this number, 77 are to be deployed in the San Diego sector and only 14 for the El Centro Sector.

continues...

June 5, 1996: Reports from the California Division of Forestry show that wildfires in eastern San Diego County have almost tripled over previous years. It is widely understood that many of these fires were started by illegal aliens.