Dear Mr. Marincic:

Thank you for contacting me to express your views regarding incursions into United States territory by Mexican government personnel. I agree that it is vital that we secure our southern border.

Like you, I believe that America’s safety depends on having the ability to control our borders. As you know, a recent report by the Department of Homeland Security identified 231 incursions by Mexican government personnel over the past decade. Many of these incursions were unintentional, but some appear to have been intentional. The report does not note that sometimes Mexican smugglers are known to disguise themselves as military personnel, so some of these reported incidents may not have actually been Mexican government personnel, but nevertheless the ease with which vehicles can cross the border without authorization is unacceptable. I voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006 to build a permanent barrier along the border to help prevent illegal immigration, smuggling and incursions. Additionally, I have strongly supported an expansion of the border patrol, including by supporting an extension of government benefits to border patrol agents that will aid the Department in recruitment and retention.

I will continue to work with my colleagues to bring the border under control. I will also carefully monitor reports of future incursions to assess the success of the border security measures recently passed by Congress and to determine whether additional action is necessary.

Thank you for contacting me about this important issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can ever be of assistance to you on this, or any other matter.



Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator