Congressman SILVESTRE REYES

Press Releases

Contact: Vincent M. Perez (202) 225-4831
Chairman Reyes Announces 6th Annual Border Security Conference
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Assistant to the President John Brennan, Assistant Secretary Alan Bersin, Assistant Secretary John Morton, ATF Director Kenneth Melson, U.S. Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar to join Chairman Silvestre Reyes in August at the University of Texas at El Paso

Washington, Jul 8 - Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) and UTEP President Diana Natalicio today announced the 2009 participants for the 6th Annual Border Security Conference: Fostering a 21st Century Relationship of Cooperation and Shared Responsibility scheduled for August 10 - 11 at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will keynote this year's conference. The Honorable John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, Alan Bersin, Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs, John Morton, Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Kenneth Melson, Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, David Aguilar, Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, and Roger Garner, USAID Mission Director for Mexico will also participate in this year's conference.

"I am pleased that Secretary Napolitano and other high-ranking officials have accepted my invitation to come to El Paso to participate in this year's Border Security Conference," Congressman Reyes said. "As the largest border community in the world, the El Paso/Juarez region is the ideal location to bring together top leaders from the U.S. and Mexico to address the many border security issues that continue to challenge communities such as ours. As policymakers wrestle with issues such as Mexico’s drug-related violence, comprehensive immigration reform, and bi-national trade in the current recession, this year’s Border Security Conference is coming at a critical time and promises to be very informative."

“UTEP is very pleased to partner with Congressman Silvestre Reyes in hosting this major conference on border security," UTEP President Diana Natalico said. "El Paso, the largest bi-national metroplex in the world, is where the many challenges and opportunities of the U.S.-Mexico border are most salient. The University of Texas at El Paso, with its border location, student demographics, academic programs, research infrastructure and productive relationships with educational institutions in Mexico, offers an ideal context to share perspectives and promote cross-border conversations on the many issues surrounding security in this border region. UTEP is pleased to continue contributing to this critically important dialogue.â€