Arizona Congressman Ron Barber issued an invitation to Jeh Johnson, the presumed new Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, to come to Southern Arizona and tour the border.
Barber, a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and ranking member of the Oversight and Management Efficiency Subcommittee, released a statement on Friday in which he announced his invitation to “an area of the border that is plagued by drug smuggling and illegal crossings.”
Johnson will be officially sworn in as DHS secretary after being confirmed by the Senate.
“The area of the border that I represent in Southern Arizona is the most porous for the smuggling of illegal drugs and continues to have one of the highest rates of apprehension for people entering the country illegally,” Barber wrote to Johnson.
“The 83 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border in my district is in need of resources that will provide stronger security along the border, so the people I represent can be assured of safety on their land and in their homes. We have made some progress in border security, but we still have a long way to go,” Barber wrote.
Contrary to claims of security improvement, border area ranchers report new pressures by cartels to sell their properties or face grave risks.
In his letter, Barber told Johnson that a tour of the border in Southern Arizona would give him “a firsthand look at the conditions at one of the nation’s highest traffic areas, talk with the men and women I represent who live on the border, and foster a greater mutual understanding of our border security needs.”
In January, Barber brought attention to a study conducted by the Government Accountability Office that examined Border Patrol strategies and resources. As part of the study, GAO interviewed carefully selected ranchers in Southern Arizona. The GAO concluded that the Border Patrol lacks measures for assessing risk and need, and does not have in place goals or a timeline to improve security along the Southwestern border.
Barber’s letter to Johnson is below:
December 20, 2013
The Honorable Jeh Johnson
Secretary
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528
Dear Secretary Johnson:
Congratulations on your appointment as secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This position plays an essential role in the security of our nation, and this is a particularly crucial time to be taking the helm of the department.
Border security is one of our most pressing national security issues, and we cannot afford to lose the ground that has been gained. Improving security at the border has been a priority for me since before I came to Congress. The area of the border that I represent in Southern Arizona is the most porous for the smuggling of illegal drugs and continues to have one of the highest rates of apprehension for people entering the country illegally. The 83 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border in my district is in need of resources that will provide stronger security along the border, so the people I represent can be assured of safety on their land and in their homes. We have made some progress in border security, but we still have a long way to go.
As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and ranking member of the Oversight and Management Efficiency Subcommittee, I have worked with members of both parties on our shared priority to better secure the border. Last year, I asked the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the Border Patrol’s strategy and resource needs. In evaluating how the Border Patrol deploys its agents and other resources, the GAO determined in their January 2013 report that the Border Patrol lacks measures for determining areas of risk and need and does not have in place goals or a timeline to accurately assess progress. The GAO recommended that the agency resolve these issues and the department committed to finalizing a border security strategy by November 2013. I am discouraged that this date has come and gone without the promise being kept. We must have a border security strategy in place, and I am eager to see the department plan.
Since the GAO report, I have worked with my colleagues on the Homeland Security Committee to pass bipartisan legislation requiring DHS to develop a plan to secure the border that includes specific metrics to measure border security progress. Such a plan must be designed with the input from the people who know the border best: the men and women who live and work on the border and the law enforcement agents who patrol it. With this in mind, I introduced an amendment that was accepted unanimously to require DHS to consult local stakeholders when developing its border security plan.
When we spoke by phone yesterday, we discussed the need for us to meet in January. I look forward to discussing DHS priorities and the plans for an improved border security strategy. I would like to extend to you an invitation to accompany me on a tour of my district’s border with Mexico. Doing so will give you a firsthand look at the conditions at one of the nation’s highest traffic areas, talk with the men and women I represent who live on the border, and foster a greater mutual understanding of our border security needs.
I look forward to working closely with you to further the mission of the department and ensure the safety and security of our nation.
Sincerely,
Ron Barber
Member of Congress