Letter to The Honorable Janet Napolitano Secretary of Homeland Security

Letter

Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) today joined with Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) and a bipartisan group of Senators in calling on Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, in a letter, not to overlook northern border issues as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) increases operations along the southern border with Mexico.

"Any chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the border security of the United States is no exception. Our northern border should not be a weak link in our homeland defense," the Senators write in their letter to Napolitano. "We need to make sure that both of America's borders are secure, not just the southern one."

While the Senators strongly support CBP and its mission to stop illegal immigration along the southern border, they note that it is not the agency's only responsibility. Many threats, including smuggling of drugs and controlled goods, and even terrorism, come from the north. Despite these dangers, CBP guards the northern border with just a fraction of the staff dedicated to the southern border -- in part because Homeland Security has fallen well short of meeting its legislative mandate to assign at least 20 percent of any new border patrol staff to the northern border. At 611 miles, Maine has the third-longest land border on the northern tier of states.

The Senators warned Napolitano of the dangers of boosting southern operations by taking critical Border Patrol agents, CBP funding, and in particular limited assets, like Predator B and other aircraft, away from the northern border.

"While it may be politically expedient, it would be reckless to weaken our northern border security in response to the need for more assets in the south. A strong CBP presence along the northern border is essential to our border security and must be maintained," the Senators said.

Those joining Senators Snowe and Conrad in writing the letter to Napolitano are: Senators Baucus, Levin, Dorgan, Murray, Crapo, Stabenow, Cantwell, Sanders, Tester, and Risch.

The full text of the letter follows:

June 28, 2010

The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Secretary of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528

Dear Secretary Napolitano:

In light of the President's decision to assign 1,200 National Guard troops to southern border security and request an additional $500 million for border protection and law enforcement activities, and the recent Customs and Border Protection (CBP) standup of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) operations out of Corpus Christi, Texas, we write to alert you to our strong ongoing support for existing and future operations along the northern border.

Any chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the border security of the United States is no exception. Our northern border should not be a weak link in our homeland defense. While the two regions face distinct challenges requiring unique approaches, we need to make sure that both of America's borders are secure, not just the southern one. Though stopping illegal immigration along the southern border is an important part of CBP's mission, it is not that agency's only responsibility. Many threats, including smuggling of drugs and controlled goods, and even terrorism, come from the north. Despite these dangers, CBP guards our northern border with just a fraction of the staff dedicated to the southern border --in part because DHS has fallen well short of meeting its legislative mandate to assign at least 20 percent of any new border patrol staff to the northern border.

We support strong CBP operations along the southern border to combat illegal immigration and secure the border. However, we strongly oppose boosting southern operations by taking critical Border Patrol agents, CBP funding, and in particular limited assets, like Predator B and other aircraft, away from the northern border. These assets are essential to defending our nation against smugglers, terrorists, and others who wish to do us harm. While it may be politically expedient, it would be reckless to weaken our northern border security in response to the need for more assets in the south. A strong CBP presence along the northern border is essential to our border security and must be maintained.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,