Napolitano Announces Millions in Border Funding

August 12, 2009 News    Print    Email this Article   1 Comment

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was at the University of Texas at El Paso Tuesday for their sixth annual Border Security Conference, where she discussed issues like the Mexican drug war, immigration detention in the United States and legislative reforms.

Napolitano also delivered remarks to outline the cohesive strategy the U.S. government has brought to border security and immigration enforcement efforts. Public officials from Cameron, Hidalgo and Starr County were able to tune in to her remarks via teleconference at the us border patrol headquarters in Edinburg. Napolitano announced an additional 30 million dollars in funding as part of operation Stonegarden to support security initiatives along the southwest border, funds that will enhance the department of homeland security capabilities to coordinate with state and local law enforcement in order to effectively deter violence and combat illegal trafficking.

The additional funding will be used for law enforcement personnel, overtime, travel and other related costs to further increase the law enforcement presence along the southwest border, where according to local officials it’s greatly needed. Texas will be getting $12.7 million in money supplements, while Arizona and California will be receiving a little over $7 million. New Mexico took the smallest piece of the pie with only $2.5 million.