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Thursday, July 7, 2005

U.S. Senate to add money for immigration efforts
Walter Rubel
Santa Fe Bureau

SANTA FE -- A budget add-on will be introduced in the Senate within the next two weeks to help border states cope with the increasing demands caused by immigration, Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said Wednesday.

Domenici estimated the add-on to be between $150 million and $175 million. Of that, $80 million will be earmarked for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, which will be responsible for training new Border Patrol agents, said Domenici, who was joined by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for a brief press conference Wednesday evening.

Gonzales said he was on his way to a conference dealing with the Southwest and border topics. Domenici is to be in Las Cruces today to talk more about his outlook for the border.

The budget measure is "the first major add-on of real big resources," for border cities, Domenici said.

He said the add-on would provide money for 1,000 new Border Patrol agents, 2,000 new beds to detain undocumented border crossers and about $20 million to $30 million for new technology.

The immigration issue is "very complicated, and requires a war on all fronts," Domenici said.

He faulted Congress for not moving fast enough to secure the border.

And he said that a proposal by President Bush to offer a guest-worker program for undocumented immigrants already in the country shouldn't be debated until the border is secured first.

He said that he would soon announce a plan for dealing with immigration.

"We have to do something about it, big," Domenici said. "It can't be some little measure that will solve that problem."

Gonzales said immigration topics come up frequently at the White House.

"I can assure you that a lot of time is spent throughout the administration focusing on immigration. We know how important it is," Gonzales said. "We know it's a drain on resources. We know it means national security for our country. We need to know who's coming across our borders."

Gonzales said much has already been done. He pointed to the creation of the new Department of Homeland Security, which has oversight of the Border Patrol, and new technology now in use on the border.

Walter Rubel may be reached at wrubel@lcsun-news.com

Senate to add on money for immigration efforts

Jaelyn deMaria Leary / Albuquerque Journal

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, right, spoke at a news conference Wednesday at Cutter Aviation in Albuquerque.