Schumer To DHS: Border Breach Points To Training And Staffing Problems

Press Release

Schumer To DHS: Border Breach Points To Training And Staffing Problems

In response to the Department of Homeland Security downplaying security vulnerabilities at our borders after a man infected with a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis crossed unchecked earlier this week, today Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) encouraged DHS to conduct an exhaustive, top-to-bottom review of the incident to determine exactly what went wrong and how future incidents can be prevented. Fearing that this week's incident may indicate a lack of staff and training at our borders, Sen. Schumer also called for a review of current staffing and training procedures, as well as mandatory public health training for all current and future border agents.

"When a fire alarm goes off, you don't ignore it just because you don't see any smoke," Schumer said. "The good news is that the computer system worked, however the bad news is that this incident exposed flaws in our human capacity to protect our borders from harmful agents."

As part of a global effort to track down Andrew Speaker, the man who was infected with a highly dangerous strain of tuberculosis, his name was added to a "no-fly" list and an alert was sent to appropriate authorities, including Customs and Border Patrol stations. However, a border agent at the Champlain, NY crossing ignored a computer warning to detain Speaker when he tried to re-enter the U.S. earlier this week.

"We can't simply say: ‘It was one guy, it was taken care of, case closed'," Schumer said. "Protecting our borders is too important an issue to be so dismissive with our own safety."

The incident raises serious question about whether our borders are adequately staffed and agents properly trained," said Sen. Schumer. As of late last year, our Northern Border was still short — by more than 1,000 border agents — of the 5,000 required by law, a shortage that could have contributed to this incident and may lead to others, Schumer said.

"I hope that this was an isolated incident. I fear that it is not," said Schumer. "The agents of Customs and Border Protection are our first line of defense against many different kinds of harmful agents—we must be sure that they are given all the tools they need to protect us."

In addition to sheer manpower, the incident highlights the need for mandatory, specialized training in handling public health threats, Schumer said.

"We need to make sure that our border agents are receiving adequate training not only in protecting us from terrorism, but also in preventing public health catastrophes," Schumer said.

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