By
Jerry Seper; THE WASHINGTON TIMES; Published February 10, 2006
Department
of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, concerned about rising border
violence, said yesterday nearly $1 billion in next year's proposed $42.7
billion department budget will be used for new U.S. Border Patrol agents,
upgraded electronic security measures, and more fences, roads, and detention
beds.
"There
has been an over-100 percent increase in the last fiscal year in border
violence aimed at our Border Patrol agents, and that ranges from gunshots fired
across the border to rocks being thrown, sometimes flaming rocks, and let me
tell you, rockings are serious," Mr. Chertoff said at a press conference
in Washington.
"We
are not going to tolerate this kind of behavior ... if they think they're going
to back us down or chase us away, the answer to that is no. Our Border Patrol
is properly trained. They have rules of engagement. They are entitled to defend
themselves. They will defend themselves. We will support them in applying these
rules of engagement," he said.
Border
Patrol Chief David V. Aguilar noted there had already been 192 assaults on his
agents since the start of the new fiscal year in October.
Mr.
Chertoff said much of the border violence has been the result of increased
enforcement efforts by the U.S. government, but that the department was
committed to securing the nation's borders as part of the strategy that
"involves not only apprehensions at the border, but detention, removal and
more vigorous work site enforcement."
The
new budget calls for $458.9 million for 1,500 new Border Patrol agents,
doubling the number of agents added to 3,000 since 2005. This represents a 42
percent increase in the agent work force since the September 11 attacks.
The
budget also calls for:
•$100
million for technology that will enhance electronic surveillance and
operational response capability along the border. Mr. Chertoff said the money
will provide significant procurement investments needed to begin an aggressive
deployment plan that began in fiscal 2005.
•$30
million to complete construction of the San Diego border infrastructure project
that includes multiple fences and patrol roads to enable quick enforcement
response.
•$410.2
million for an additional 6,700 detention bed spaces -- to eliminate an
existing "catch and release" program in which apprehended illegal
aliens are released because of a lack of bed space.
Mr.
Chertoff said rising violence along the U.S.-Mexico border represented not only
a threat to law-enforcement personnel but to everyone.
"This
is dangerous to our country; it's dangerous to Mexico; it's dangerous to the
human beings who are being smuggled into the country and then left to die in
the desert, or subject to being victims of assaults by the coyotes [alien
smugglers] themselves," he said.
"So,
from a humanitarian and a national security standpoint, we have to have a very
strong commitment to ending this activity by illegal trafficking
organizations," he said.
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