Letter to Chairman Leahy

Letter

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Ranking Member on the Senate Judiciary Committee's Immigration, Refugees and Border Security Subcommittee, today wrote to Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., requesting a committee hearing as soon as possible to investigate the rising violence along our southern border, especially in light of the recent murders of two U.S. citizens with ties to the American Consulate in Ciudad Juarez. Sen. Cornyn's letter was signed by fellow members of the Judiciary Committee, Sens. Orrin Hatch, Jeff Sessions, Lindsey Graham, Chuck Grassley, Jon Kyl, and Tom Coburn. Today's letter comes as senior Administration officials meet to discuss the situation with Mexican officials in Mexico City.

Of the meeting in Mexico City, Sen. Cornyn said, "I'm glad to see the President and his Administration acknowledge that the cartel violence along the border represents a real security concern for the United States and have reached out to our friends in Mexico to hear how we can continue to coordinate our efforts to address this issue. We must also do more here in the United States to address the ongoing violence in neighboring border towns and adopt a proactive approach that will give immediate resources to state and local law enforcement in affected border communities."

Sen. Cornyn continued, "I'm hopeful Chairman Leahy will agree to schedule a hearing as soon as possible to help identify the security needs and priorities for our border communities. I also urge the President to accept my invitation to visit the border region with me to hear firsthand from state and local officials who deal directly with these security challenges on a daily basis."

The full text of Sen. Cornyn's letter to Chairman Leahy is below and attached:

March 23, 2010

Dear Chairman Leahy:

We were saddened and outraged to learn about the recent murders of two U.S. citizens in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The victims, who were affiliated with the American consulate there, appear to have been targeted by violent drug cartels.

This crime was not an isolated incident. In recent weeks, we have received reports of escalating violence along the border, including some spillover violence in border communities in the United States. Moreover, there is a growing concern that violent drug cartels have increased their efforts to threaten, harass, and bribe U.S. border officials.

We intend to approach this issue in a constructive, bipartisan manner. In that spirit, we respectfully request that the Committee schedule a hearing to take testimony from Administration officials and experts on the situation in Mexico. A hearing would provide an opportunity to assess the Administration's strategy to address this crisis and whether sufficient resources are being provided to federal, state, and local law enforcement along the border.

The safety of our citizens is of the utmost concern to us, and we intend to work together to ensure that the federal government is doing everything in its power to protect our border communities.

Sincerely,

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