Congressman Henry Cuellar Responds to Plan to Deploy National Guard to Border

CONGRESSMAN HENRY CUELLAR RESPONDS TO PLAN TO DEPLOY NATIONAL GUARD TO BORDER

The following is a statement made by Congressman Henry Cuellar in response to the President's speech on immigration and national security:

"Our border certainly requires more protection. To ensure this, Congress and the Administration must work together to provide the necessary funds for border security personnel to do their job."

"While I approve of using the National Guard in a limited and temporary support role along the border, such as intelligence gathering and road building, I do not approve of using the National Guard for law enforcement purposes. I believe the duty of securing our nation's borders is better left to the professionals who have been assigned this responsibility and who have been trained for the mission. We need Border Patrol agents who are familiar with the daily challenges that we face on the border, and have been provided the technology and resources they need."

"The American people expect and deserve a strong border security policy to resolve current illegal immigration concerns. These measures do not provide the solution our country needs. I support an immigration plan that includes: improved border security by giving the border patrol the tools and funding it needs; developing improved control systems for the legal entry of workers; developing a realistic proposal for dealing with undocumented immigrants currently in the United States."

Congressman Cuellar represents the 28th Congressional District of Texas which includes the border counties of Zapata and Webb. Congressman Cuellar is a native of the border town of Laredo, TX, which provides him with a unique perspective on border issues.

http://www.house.gov/list/press/tx28_cuellar/060515.html