Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – The House Homeland Security Committee passed HR 3548, the Border Security For America Act, a comprehensive proposal to enhance domestic security nationwide. The bill cleared Committee by a vote of 18-12.
 
“This is a common sense proposal that helps us keep our Nation secure, and offers notable changes to combat issues such as human trafficking and other crimes along the southern border of the United States. As Congress begins considering other immigration reforms, a vital need was securing the border; this proposal goes to great lengths to advance that process. I’m glad to have supported this bill and look forward to seeing its passage in the House,” said Congressman Perry.
 
The bill:
 
• includes $10 billion for deployment and construction of the border wall where applicable, as well as fencing, technology, air assets and other barriers along the 2,000 mile southern U.S. border;
• authorizes the hiring of 5,000 border patrol agents and 5,000 customs and border patrol officers, and expedites the methods used to hire Veterans and existing law enforcement officers for these positions;
• cracks down on visa overstays through the full deployment of the Biometric Entry-Exit System at all ports of entry (According to a March 2017 article in the Daily Signal, “overstays accounted for about two-thirds—66 percent—of those who ended up joining the illegal immigrant population in 2014.); and
• doubles the available funding for the Stonegarden grant program that helps state and local law enforcement in their efforts to combat drug trafficking, smuggling and other crimes along the border.