Sheriffs from the 24 U.S. counties bordering Mexico unanimously voted Friday to join forces.The creation of the Southwest Border Sheriffs Coalition comes at the same time as increased violence along the U.S.-Mexico border. This week, a federal safety alert warned that nine illegal immigrants in the Big Bend area of Texas hired Mexican hit men to assassinate U.S. law-enforcement officers.
| Sounds like MS-13. |
"The biggest thing of course is the borders are not secure," said Earl Wentworth, assistant sheriff for San Diego County. "Anybody can cross the border undetected if they want to it wouldn't be difficult for terrorists to figure it out if they know it's our Achilles' heel, they will use it against us."
The coalition will share intelligence information and create a second line of defense behind Border Patrol agents. The federal government will fund the transportation and housing of illegal immigrants.
The local law-enforcement officials won't be held responsible for determining the nationality or the legal status of persons detained, said Michael Doyle, chief deputy of Hudspeth County, Texas.
"The counties with the smaller populations, with the lower tax bases, we won't be able to accomplish what we need to do without help and federal funding," Doyle said.
Current support from congressional leaders was one of the main reasons for creating the coalition, Wentworth said.
Immigration legislation specifically H.R. 4437 proposed by Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis. is being debated on Capitol Hill. It would allocate millions of dollars in federal funding to the coalition if it passes, said Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas.
Culberson also said there is "$6.8 billion in unspent local responder money sitting in the treasury for the past three years." Those funds were designated for the Department of Homeland Security, but could be used for local law enforcement.
Cochise County, Ariz., Sheriff Larry Dever said his county is among those overwhelmed with costs attributed to the significant number of illegal immigrants passing through on their way to the U.S. interior.
Coalition members will soon start a letter-writing campaign asking local senators to push for passage of the Sensenbrenner bill, which is essential to funding more deputies and purchasing equipment, said Rick Glancey, spokesman for the Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition.
"There are no (political) parties here only red, white and blue," Culberson told the sheriffs. "This is about protecting your counties, your neighbors and your country."
The coalition's duties will be similar to what the Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition has been doing for the past year, Doyle said. Operation Linebacker, which was conceived by the Texas coalition, will be adopted by the rest of the sheriff's departments along the border.
The operation integrates law-enforcement resources along the border and increases both public and national security between points of entry, Doyle said. Actions include additional patrols in rural and remote areas. Doyle said.
"They are a great bunch of people with one concern and that is the security of our nation," said El Paso County Sheriff Leo Samaniego, who was among those who recently testified before Congress. "The coalition is a great success now all we have to do is wait and hope our senators do the right thing."