Senator John McCain and Congressman Matt Salmon Introduce the Arizona Borderlands Protection and Preservation Act to Enhance Border Patrol on Federal Lands in Arizona

Press Release

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Congressman Matt Salmon (R-AZ) today introduced in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, respectively, the Arizona Borderlands Protection and Preservation Act, legislation that would enable U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel to gain full access to federal lands on the Southwest border of Arizona for border security activities, including routine patrols and surveillance.

"For decades, drug cartels and human smugglers have exploited U.S. land management laws by crossing our borders illegally and harming Arizona's national parks and protected areas," said Senator McCain and Congressman Salmon. "Amazingly, the laws put in place to protect these lands also prevent Border Patrol agents from doing their jobs. Currently, it is impossible for our Border Patrol agents to effectively secure the border when current land management laws prevent them from routinely patrolling large swaths of federal land. Our common-sense legislation would cut unnecessary red tape and enable Border Patrol agents to have access to all federally managed land in Southwest Arizona so they can perform their jobs effectively, keep our communities safe, and secure the border once and for all."

More than 85 percent of the land directly on the Arizona-Mexico border is controlled by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture. Border Patrol agents must receive permission from land managers at agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Park Service before gaining access for routine patrols or implementing tactical infrastructure such as radio towers. According to a 2011 report by the U.S. Government and Accountability Office (GAO), Border Patrol agents reported that these laws have restricted and delayed their operations, while several agents-in-charge noted that they were "unable to access certain areas in a timely manner" because of the time it takes land managers to complete necessary property assessments.