Statement by Deputy Press Secretary Matt Chandler on Pew Hispanic Center Report on Unauthorized Immigration Flows

Release Date: September 1, 2010

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

“This Administration’s unprecedented commitment of manpower, technology and infrastructure to the Southwest border has been a major factor in this dramatic drop in illegal crossings. We are cracking down on employers who hire illegal labor, seizures of illicit goods are up across the board, criminal alien removals are at an all-time high, the Border Patrol is better staffed than at any time in its 85-year history, and the southwest border is more secure than ever before.

In addition to efforts already undertaken, the President has authorized the deployment of an additional 1,200 National Guard troops to the border to provide intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, and immediate support to counternarcotics enforcement while Customs and Border Protection recruits and trains additional officers and agents to serve on the border. The Administration is dedicating $600 million in new funding to enhance security technology at the border, share information and support with state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and increase federal law enforcement activities at the border. That effort will include the deployment of more agents, investigators, and prosecutors as part of a coordinated effort with states and cities to target illicit networks trafficking in people, drugs, illegal weapons, and money. We continue to work with Congress to pass a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill that would provide lasting resources for border security while restoring responsibility and accountability to our broken immigration system.â€