Washington, D.C.  -  The Federal government would hire an additional 1,000 Border Patrol agents and train additional State Troopers to help enforce the nation’s immigration laws under a bill that passed the House last night, Congressman Mike Rogers said today.

 

The bill, which funds most Homeland Security functions in the Federal government, is another positive development for helping strengthen our borders, Rogers said. The new agents would be used to patrol the nation’s southwestern border with Mexico, as well as the northern border with Canada.

 

“Our nation is facing a real-time crisis with our porous borders,” Rogers said. “While this is an encouraging sign that Congress recognizes the growing problem of illegal immigration, much more needs to be done.”

 

Rogers said the nation needs a comprehensive approach to solving the illegal immigration problem. “We need at least 2,000 new border patrol agents per year for the next five years, as well as increased surveillance technology and more detection canines, such as those trained at Auburn University’s Canine Detection Training Center at Fort McClellan.

 

Rogers said the funding for the border patrol agents is contained in the conference report to H.R. 2360, the Homeland Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2006. The $30.8 billion bill passed late last night 347-70, and provides funding for our nation’s first responders, border patrol initiatives, fire grants, and transportation security.

 

“I was also pleased to see for the first time a dedicated source of funding to help train State Troopers in enforcing the nation’s immigration law,” Rogers said. Recently, twenty-five Alabama State Troopers graduated from a similar training course held at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Calhoun County. The bill contains $5 million for trooper training.

 

Rogers is Chairman of the Homeland Security subcommittee on Management, Integration and Oversight. He added before the bill can become law it must first be sent to the Senate for passage, and then to the president for his signature.