$42 Million for San Luis, Nearly $10 Million for Nogales

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Jon Kyl praised the inclusion of funds in the new federal budget for improvements at two of Arizona's border ports of entry - funding that Kyl had specifically requested of the administration in September. The proposed budget for the 2007 fiscal year makes border security funding a top priority. "I'm heartened that these very important budget requests I made for crucial ports of entry on the Arizona/Mexico border were fulfilled," said Kyl. "The completion of these projects promises relief from miles-long delays that have hampered economic development in our border region. As the budget process moves forward, I will continue to make the case for these improvements and work to secure the necessary appropriations this year." Kyl detailed the two high-priority requests he made for Arizona border-related projects. The first directs $42 million to the construction of the new port of entry at San Luis, near Yuma. The second puts $9.8 million toward reconfiguration and improvements at the Nogales-Mariposa port of entry. In September, Kyl had sent a letter to the director of the Office of Management and Budget and the administrator of the General Services Administration urging the full funding of the San Luis and Nogales-Mariposa projects. The new budget also includes the following border-related highlights: · $458.9 million for 1,500 additional Border Patrol Agents - representing a 42 percent increase in the Border Patrol Agent workforce since 9/11. · $410.2 million for 6,700 additional detention bed spaces to help eliminate the need to "catch and release" criminal aliens. This bed space request will support the detention and removal of an additional 100,000 apprehended aliens each year. · $100 million for border technology that will enhance electronic surveillance and operational response capability. · $41.7 million for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to strengthen worksite enforcement. A more robust worksite enforcement program will send a strong deterrence message to employers who knowingly hire illegal workers, reduce the economic incentive for illegal immigration, and help restore the integrity of employment laws. · $60 million to increase ICE fugitive operations teams by 18, reaching a total of 70 teams nationwide dedicated to catching the estimated 450,000 absconders nationwide. · $135 million to expand the current employment-verification pilot program to support a national verification requirement. · $29.7 million for the Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative - a program originally created by Senators Kyl and Kay Bailey Hutchison - to fund local Southwest prosecutor offices for processing, detaining, and prosecuting drug and other cases. "In a post-9/11 world, border security is homeland security," said Kyl. "These budget outlays show a clear commitment to border security and immigration reform; however, it's not nearly enough. Funding will have to be enhanced if we are going to solve the problem."