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Skriven 2006-08-03 23:31:14 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0608037) for Thu, 2006 Aug 3
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Fact Sheet: Operation Jump Start: Acting Now to Secure the Border
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 3, 2006

Fact Sheet: Operation Jump Start: Acting Now to Secure the Border


ÿÿÿÿÿ President Bush Discusses Comprehensive Immigration Reform in Texas
ÿÿÿÿÿ In Focus: Immigration

Today, President Bush Toured The Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector And
Discussed The Need For Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The President has
called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that will
secure our borders, enhance worksite enforcement, create a temporary worker
program, resolve the status of illegal immigrants already here, and promote
assimilation into our society, including by learning English.

The Administration Is Taking Action To Secure Our Border And Deter Illegal
Immigration

Under Operation Jump Start, About 6,000 National Guard Members Have
Deployed To Help The Border Patrol Secure The Southern Border. In May, the
President pledged that we would have up to 6,000 National Guard members in
Southern Border States. Today, the President announced that we have met
that pledge.
  þ National Guard Members Are On Duty Supporting The Border Patrol In
    Texas, California, Arizona, And New Mexico. The President's proposals
    to put more agents in place and upgrade technology will take time.
    National Guard troops are providing immediate help with surveillance,
    construction, and logistics. Guardsmen are building fences, as well as
    manning detection equipment on the border and in command centers.
  þ The Arrival Of National Guard Reinforcements In Four Southern Border
    States Has Put More Manpower On The Border And Allowed The Border
    Patrol To Move More Than 300 Agents Into Front-Line Positions. This
    additional manpower is producing results:
      þ With support from National Guard members deployed under Operation
        Jump Start, Border Patrol agents have apprehended more than 2,500
        illegal immigrants and seized more than 17,000 pounds of illegal
        drugs since June 15.
      þ Last month, Border Patrol Agents in the Rio Grande Valley sector
        confiscated more than 4,200 pounds of marijuana hidden in a
        trailer. The support of the National Guard was important to making
        this seizure happen successfully.

We Are Deterring Illegal Immigration By Addressing The Problem Of "Catch
And Release" At The Southern Border. For years, the government did not have
enough detention space to hold all the illegal immigrants we catch at the
border. Many were given a court date and released into society.ÿ When the
court date arrived, many did not show up. The practice of "catch and
release" is unacceptable, and the Administration is working to end it on
the Southern border.
  þ We Have Expanded Beds In Detention Centers. We have added 500 beds in a
    detention center in the Rio Grande Valley, and we will be adding
    another 1,500. Earlier this summer, the President signed an emergency
    spending bill providing funding for 4,000 new beds, and the President's
    FY07 budget proposes funding to further increase this number to an
    estimated total of 6,700 new beds.
  þ We Are Accelerating The Deportation Process. Our actions have helped
    end the old practice of "catch and release" at the Southern border for
    illegal immigrants from Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. For
    example,under Operation Texas Hold _Em, we cut through red tape so we
    could quickly return all Brazilians caught illegally crossing the
    Southern border, resulting in a significant drop in the number of
    apprehended illegal immigrants from Brazil across the border as a
    whole.

Since The President Took Office In 2001, We Have Increased Funding For
Border Security By 66 Percent To More Than $7.6 Billion, Equipped The
Border Patrol With Better Technology, Built New Infrastructure, And
Expanded The Border Patrol From About 9,000 To About 12,000 Agents. Since
2001, Federal agents have used these resources to apprehend and send home
more than 6 million people entering America illegally. Earlier this summer,
the President signed an emergency spending bill that provided an additional
$1.9 billion in immediate funding for border security.

President Bush Has Called On Congress To Fund Increases In Manpower And
Technology That Will Help The Border Patrol Build On Its Success And Gain
Full Control Of The Border. Under the President's proposal, we will
increase the size of the Border Patrol by an additional 6,000 agents, to a
total of about 18,000. In addition, we will build high-tech fences in urban
corridors, and new patrol roads and barriers in rural areas.

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Must Address All Aspects Of Our Broken
Immigration System

The President Has Called On Congress To Send Him A Comprehensive
Immigration Reform Bill That He Can Sign Into Law. Our Nation can have an
immigration policy that is both rational and compassionate. Both the House
and Senate have passed bills. The President calls on Congress to resolve
its differences and send him a comprehensive immigration reform bill that
he can sign into law.

In Addition To Securing The Border, Comprehensive Immigration Reform Must:
  þ Create A Temporary Worker Program That Would Establish A Legal Channel
    For Foreign Workers To Enter Our Country In An Orderly Way, For A
    Limited Period Of Time. By creating a lawful channel for those who want
    to work in our country, a temporary worker program would reduce the
    number of people trying to sneak across the border, freeing agents to
    focus on apprehending criminals and terrorists who pose a threat to our
    security.
  þ Enforce Our Immigration Laws At The Worksite. We are cracking down on
    employers who violate the law and working to ensure honest businesses
    have the tools they need to follow the law.ÿ The President has called
    for the creation of a tamper-proof identification card for legal
    foreign workers, and has asked Congress to make the Basic Pilot
    employment verification program mandatory and provide Homeland Security
    with the funding and authority to make sure it is an effective tool.
  þ Resolve The Status Of Illegal Immigrants Who Are Already In The
    Country. The President opposes amnesty. He supports a rational middle
    ground between automatic citizenship for every illegal immigrant and
    mass deportations of people who have been living here for many years
    with jobs, families, and deep roots in our country.
  þ Help Newcomers Assimilate Into Our Society. We will honor the American
    tradition of the melting pot and help immigrants assimilate by learning
    our history, our values, and the English language.

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