http://www.midcountychronicle.com/news/2006/1108/viewpoint/007.html
Global security must always begin at home Kay Bailey Hutchison The idea "Think Globally, Act Locally" has influenced many decisions since its first use at an international conference in 1972. It conveys the idea that effective solutions to large problems often begin with steps taken in your backyard. Today, keeping America safe requires the same concept.While our federal government protects us by meeting global threats abroad, we also need to act locally, addressing the potential security threats posed by illegal immigration. We are all aware that important military missions are ongoing in dangerous parts of the world, and we are grateful for the courage of our military men and women. However, it would be a dishonor to their service if we did not protect our interests at home with the same dedication and vigor that they show overseas. Domestic security requires our attention and cannot be overlooked. We must devote additional resources to securing our nation's borders. Our southern border has become a sieve, and protecting Texas's border with Mexico is one way that we can fight the war on terror at home. Monitoring Texas' border with Mexico is no easy task; it spans 1,248 miles - about the distance from Houston to Washington,D.C. But just because something is difficult does not mean it cannot be done.We have to do whatever it takes to secure our borders because the alternative is simply not an option. Securing the Texas-Mexico border is also critical to our economy, because illegal immigrants can become a serious expense to local communities in the form of overwhelmed emergency rooms and overburdened schools. President Bush's recent budget request is a good first step toward dealing with some of the immigration problems facing our state. The president requested $450 million to provide 1,500 new border patrol agents.While this increase is a step in the right direction, it is not enough. Terrorists are counting on southern border policy to be weak, and we cannot allow that to happen. The 9- 11 Commission recommended adding 2,000 new border patrol agents a year each year from 2006 to 2010 - at a minimum. This increase was also recommended in the National Intelligence Reform Act that became law in December 2004. Leading the fight for new border patrol agents in the Senate, I introduced a budget amendment providing full funding for them. Last year, we caught over 160,000 other than Mexicans (OTMs) crossing into our country illegally, and we do not know how many we failed to catch. The Census Bureau estimates that over 10 million people reside in our country illegally - that's more than twice the combined populations of Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin. Immigrants from countries other than Mexico are coming into our country in large numbers, and we need to make sure they go through proper security channels. Additional funding will help accomplish the Department of Homeland Security's goal of eliminating, by October, the catch and release program in place for OTMs. Of the 160,000 OTMs caught and released, only 30,000 (under 20%) showed for their court hearings.That is unacceptable. I have urged the Department to use temporary facilities to begin detaining non-Mexican illegal entrants immediately instead of releasing them until new facilities are prepared. I have worked in Congress to increase immigration-related funding, and last fall we passed over $31 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, providing $9 billion for Customs and Border Protection, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, and related activities, 250 criminal investigators (for a total of 6,000), and 20,000 detention beds. During the previous Congress, I cosponsored legislation in the Senate reimbursing Texas hospitals approximately $47 million a year for the cost of treating illegal immigrants. Yet immigration reform requires more than just funding. Last year a community in New Hampshire attempted to prosecute illegal immigrants, but it was thwarted when a judge ruled the federal government has exclusive jurisdiction on civil immigration issues. Other communities around the country have faced similar legal obstacles in their attempts to stem the flow of illegal immigrants. In response, I proposed the Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Empowerment Act. This bill would allow state and local law enforcement to become more involved in the process of catching illegal immigrants. State and local governments should be permitted to pass their own laws so they can prosecute all immigration violations, both civil and criminal. The Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Empowerment Act would allow states to enforce federal immigration law and to create state immigration enforcement provisions in accordance with federal law. 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