McCain Secures New Funding For the Southwest

Senator McCain made the following statement regarding the passage of the $600 million in new funding to secure our Southwest Border.


“The passage of the border security legislation today, co-sponsored by myself and Senator Kyl, is a significant step towards full implementation of the McCain-Kyl 10-Point Border Security Action Plan. Although, there is a great deal more to be done, I believe today Democrats finally put good policy over politics and agreed we must secure our border first,” said Senator John McCain.


“Specifically, our legislation would send 1,200 new Border Patrol Agents and 250 new Customs and Border Protection officers to the border; procure two Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs); establish two forward operating bases; and provide millions of dollars for vital radio communications for interoperability between Federal, state and local law enforcement. I anticipate many of these resources will be placed along the Arizona border. Lastly, our bill provides hundreds of millions of dollars for additional judges and prosecutors to ensure our Federal government prosecutes illegal border crossers. All of these items are key components in the McCain-Kyl 10-Point Border Security Action Plan and legislation.”


The legislation includes $600 million new funding to secure our border:


$254 million for additional Funding for Border Personnel, including:

- $176 million for 1,000 new Border Patrol agents to form a “strike force” to be deployed at areas most needed;
- $39 million for Customs and Border Protection (to keep current levels of officers);
- $29 million for 250 new Customs and Border Protection officers at ports of entry;
- $10 million for investigators to stop corruption in border patrol
and customs and border protection; and,
- $14 million for interoperable communication equipment for new officers.
$32 million to deploy unmanned aerial vehicle surveillance (i.e. drones) on border
$6 million to deploy two forward operating bases along the border
$80 million in funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including:
- $30 million for border interdiction, and
- $50 million for 250 new ICE personnel, including special agents, intelligence analysts, and support personnel some of which will
provide additional funding for the Law Enforcement Support Centers, which help the Federal, state and local governments identify those individuals who are here illegally and also determine status regarding eligibility for benefits.

$8.1 million for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

$10 million for Federal Judiciary resources for increased caseload related to immigration enforcement

$196 million for the Department of Justice:

- U.S. Attorneys and other legal expenses
along border ($13 million)
- U.S Marshals along border ($8 million)
- Interagency Crime and Drug Law enforcement along border ($21 million)
- Border processing of apprehended drug dealers and human traffickers ($7 million)
- FBI along border ($24 million)
- DEA along border ($34 million)
- ATF along border ($37 million)
- Federal Prison System for Immigrant
Criminals ($20 million)
- Administrative Review and Appeals expediting along
border ($2.1 million)