Vitter slams administration on border security

4:45 PM, Jul 26, 2012

Written by
Deborah Barfield Berry
Gannett Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration isn't doing enough to improve border security or enforce existing immigration laws, Louisiana Republican Sen. David Vitter said Thursday.

"Enforce the law, enforce the law, enforce the law,'' said Vitter, chairman of the Senate Border Security and Enforcement First Immigration Caucus. "The administration has the tools to do it -- it's a matter of will.''

Vitter and fellow Republican Sens. Jeff Sessions of Alabama and Charles Grassley of Iowa called a press conference to deride the administration's immigration policies as ineffective and to say its "rollercoaster'' policies put border security agents at risk.

"They have handcuffed and muffled those charged with protecting public safety and the integrity of our borders,'' Sessions said. "The lawlessness must end.''

George McCubbin, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union for border agents and personnel, said workers have been frustrated by a lack of clear policies.

Homeland Security officials counter that the borders are much more secure than in the past. They point to several improvements, including one that more than doubled the number of agents from 10,000 in 2004 to 21,000 now.

Officials say they also have beefed up surveillance technology along the borders and reduced the backlog of immigration applications.

"Over the past three years, this administration has undertaken an unprecedented effort to transform the immigration enforcement system into one that focuses on public safety, border security and the integrity of the immigration system,'' said Matthew Chandler, an agency spokesman.

Chandler said the department has focused on removing people who pose a national security or public safety risk, including immigrants convicted of crimes.

Vitter said the caucus, which is made up of 10 Republican senators, has pushed several measures, including one he and Sessions proposed to prevent illegal immigrants from claiming tax credits. Democratic leaders blocked the measure.

Immigration reform has become a bitter partisan issue. Lawmakers and immigration advocates say they don't expect Congress to deal with the issue before the November elections, but they say the issue will be raised during the campaign.

"I think a lot of Americans care about this -- that makes it a campaign issue,'' Vitter said.

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