Perry puts focus on security for border
By Brandi Grissom / Austin Bureau

AUSTIN -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry, speaking Thursday during the opening of a binational border conference, said tightening border security is his focus, while U.S. and Mexican officials emphasized the need for an orderly flow of goods and people between the two countries.

"More bridges and fewer walls are needed," said Juan Bosco Marti Ascensio, general director of North American affairs for the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Border security is to be the priority for discussions among 10 U.S. and Mexican border governors at the two-day conference, which began with speeches from several governors and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Cher toff.

"As we approach the fifth anniversary of September 11, it is present in everybody's mind how critical it is that both countries protect their borders," Chertoff said.

Governors of Texas, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Chihuahua, Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, Sonora, Baja California and Coahuila have been meeting annually since 1980 to discuss issues that affect all the states. The meeting this year comes amid nationwide debate and congressional hearings on border security and immigration.

The governors are expected to discuss a resolution drafted by California Gov. Arnold Schwar zenegger and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Richardson was not present Thursday but was expected to arrive today.

The resolution calls on the Mexican and U.S. federal governments to deal with both border security and immigration.

The U.S. House has approved legislation that concerns only border security. The Senate has passed a bill that calls for more security and creates a pathway to citizenship for some of the 12 million undocumented immigrants already in the United States.

Perry, taking a position similar to that of Republican House leaders, said border security must come first before Congress considers immigration laws.

"Any guest-worker program that seeks to match American employers with foreign workers cannot succeed unless our borders are secured

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first," he said.

Chertoff said President Bush wants comprehensive security and immigration legislation that preserves freedom and economic prosperity in Mexico and the U.S.

He said a temporary worker program for Mexican migrants is essential "for a significant majority of people, who come to the United States to do nothing more than earn a living for their families and be essentially members of their churches and good parents to their children."

Mexico's Marti said his government is trying to create jobs and help stem the tide of migrants looking for work. But, he added, a legal, safe and orderly immigration policy would improve security and prosperity of both nations.

"We need to build more ports of entry and continue innovating to make them more efficient."

Sonora Gov. Eduardo Bours Castelo said he and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano have been working together to increase security in their region. Better cross-border flow, he said, not more restrictions, is the path to border security.

The binational conference sparked a few small protests in Austin on Thursday. Outside the Capitol, about two dozen chanted "Amnesty now" and toted signs with slogans such as "Out of the border U.S. troops."

Tomas Garduño, of the Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice, said border security is overshadowing real border issues, including the environment and human rights.

"We're here to say now it's time for the border governors to listen to the people," he said.

Brandi Grissom may be reached at bgrissom.com; (512) 479-6606.

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