By Ed Somers and Justin O’Brien
February 12, 2007

A January 25 joint meeting of the Homeland Security Task Force and Cities and Borders Task Force focused on new legislation in Congress, and efforts to strengthen border security.

Homeland Security Task Force Co-Chair Sugar Land (TX) Mayor David G. Wallace highlighted the mayors key recommendations contained in the new Mayors’ 10-Point Plan that calls for:

• a well-funded, stand-alone grant program to improve interoperable communications;

• a flexible federal transit security initiative to improve security in the areas of communications, surveillance, detection systems, personnel and training; and

• an improved delivery mechanism for federal homeland security resources with greater flexibility to meet local needs.

The mayors were joined by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Staff Director Michael Alexander, and House Committee on Homeland Security Staff Director and General Counsel Jessica Herrera-Flanigan.

Alexander told the mayors that his committee will focus on oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, making sure the Department is fully implementing the FEMA reforms Congress passed in 2006, and implementation of the 9/11 Commission recommendations. Specifically, he said the Senate bill will authorize a dedicated grant program for interoperable communications (as called for by the Conference of Mayors), improve information sharing, and will make sure that while most grant funding is allocated based on risk, there remains some state minimums.

Wallace discussed these issues in greater detail with Senate Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman (CT) in his office prior to the task force discussion

Herrera-Flanigan echoed many of these issues in that the House has already passed its 9/11 bill. But she added that the “next big thing” the House will focus on related to homeland security will be mass transit and rail security — also priorities for the Conference of Mayors. She also said that the House wants to help improve state and local infrastructure protection.

In opening remarks, Cities and Borders Task Force Co-chair Yuma Mayor Lawrence “Larry” K. Nelson described the interdependence of border security and homeland security issues. City, state and national border/cross-border interoperability remain serious border security concerns he said.

Deputy U.S. Border Patrol Chief Kevin L. Stevens described dramatic improvements in border security and enforcement operations resulting from the National Guard deployment to the Southwest border. Known as Operation Jump Start, the support of National Guard troops in non-enforcement roles has freed up manpower and key resources enabling the Border Patrol to rededicate itself to its enforcement mission. Guard support has also resulted in many improvements in areas like offender tracking and capability rates for important support vehicles and other equipment he said.

Stevens explained that with troops restoring and installing border security infrastructure, the Border Patrol made over one million arrests in 2006, a significant increase over previous years that importantly included over 150,000 convicted felons, 500 murderers, 600 rapists and 6000 guilty of assaults and other criminal offenses. Noting that Border Patrol end strength is due to reach 18,000 up from 12,000 by the end of 2008, he also described how the end of the practice of “Catch and Release” and close coordination with Immigration and Customs Enforcement has had a direct and positive impact on border violence, smuggling and the numbers of illegal crossings. The numbers of cross-border travel violations has decreased 45 percent overall with the number of non-Mexican nationals attempting to cross down and illegal narcotics shipment seizures are up.

While noting more remains to be done, Stevens also described the very positive and significant level of cooperation with Mexican state, local and federal law and border enforcement authorities. Results include the elimination of dangerous criminal networks and successful prosecutions on both sides of the border. He also described the arrest and detention by Mexican authorities of 11 Iraqi nationals attempting to cross the US-Mexico border without documents.