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Release Date: January 31, 2008
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff previewed today a 19 percent increase over Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 in funding for border security and immigration enforcement efforts in FY 2009. This represents a more than 150 percent increase since President Bush has been in office, enabling the department to fulfill its border infrastructure, fencing and personnel goals by the end of 2008.
“In his State of the Union address, President Bush said that we must secure the border, police the interior, and find a way to deal with the issue of illegal immigration in a way that is humane and sensible,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “The President's budget request builds on our accomplishments and substantially reinforces our commitment to provide more boots on the ground, strengthen interior enforcement, and add new technology and fencing at the border. This administration has made substantial investments in border security and interior enforcement, and this budget reinforces that commitment.”
There has been remarkable progress at our borders over the past year. DHS has continued the practice of “catch and return” at the border, surpassed its fencing goals, and seen record enforcement numbers against illegal immigration and narcotics smuggling activities.
The department’s interior enforcement strategy complements its border security efforts. The FY 2009 budget will expand those efforts to target employers of illegal aliens and immigration violators, as well as dangerous criminal networks. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) worksite enforcement cases are at an all-time high: roughly 700 percent higher than Immigration and Naturalization Service’s worksite cases in its final year of operation in fiscal year 2002. The FY 2009 budget provides for even greater enforcement activities along with advances in verification tools available to employers.
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This page was last reviewed/modified on January 31, 2008.