WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, today released the following statement in response to President Obama's announcement that he will request $500 million in supplemental funds and order up to 1,200 additional National Guard troops to enhance border protection and law enforcement activities along the U.S.-Mexico border:
"Today's announcement from President Obama is welcome news for New Mexico and other border states that are struggling to ensure the safety of border residents in the face of increasingly violent trafficking organizations along the U.S.-Mexico border. This additional funding and manpower will give the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol - who often are forced to operate with too few staff and limited supplies - expanded resources to more effectively monitor our nation's borders and keep New Mexicans safe and secure.
"But I want to be clear. While these new resources are a welcome step to alleviate this dire situation, they in no way replace the need for a comprehensive solution to secure our borders while respecting America's legacy as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. I look forward to working with President Obama and my colleagues in the Senate to develop a policy that takes into account the needs of all stakeholders."
In March, after the murder of a rancher on the Arizona border near New Mexico, Udall joined Senator Jeff Bingaman and Representative Harry Teague in pressing the Department of Homeland Security to establish a Border Patrol forward operating base in the New Mexico boot heel. And earlier this month, Udall, a member of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, questioned federal officials about ongoing efforts to combat increased border violence by Mexican drug trafficking organizations.
Additional Background on President Obama's Announcement:
- The additional troops will provide intelligence and intelligence analysis; surveillance and reconnaissance support; immediate support to counternarcotics enforcement; and training capacity until Customs and Border Patrol can recruit and train additional officers and agents to serve on the border.
- The additional funds will be utilized to enhance technology at the border; share information and support with state, local and tribal law enforcement; and increase Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security presence and law enforcement activities at the border (including more agents, investigators and prosecutors) as part of a multi-layered effort to target illicit networks trafficking in people, drugs, illegal weapons and money.
