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Courtesy Ashley Patterson,

President Sends to Congress Specific Emergency Requests for Southern Border

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism, released the following statement in response to a letter released by the White House Tuesday in which President Obama respectfully requests Congress to approve $600 million worth of specific emergency funding requests for the nation’s southern border, including $297 million to hire 1,000 new border patrol agents, $52.5 million to hire an additional 160 new ICE agents, $37 million for two new unmanned aircraft systems and $201 million for the Department of Justice to help provide critical support along the border:

 “Currently, Congress is working on emergency legislation to fund issues of urgent national importance including border security. The President’s framework matches our vision in Congress to provide critical additions along the southern border in the face of escalated violence in Mexico . I support the President’s request to augment our manpower and technology within Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In addition, I support additional funding for the Department of Justice and our partners who carry out the judicial component of border law enforcement. This combination of investments is critical to our comprehensive strategy for securing the nation’s southern border. Ultimately, Congress will decide how to appropriate such funds based on the President’s request. I will continue to stand by this and other emergency funding for our southern border. Border security is a national security issue and that’s why I remain dedicated in ensuring we provide real-time solutions to the situation we face along the southern border.”