Immigration Issue

Border Law Enforcement

As a member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Domenici has long played a key role in bolstering border personnel levels for ICE and Border Patrol. His work to boost overall resources for ICE and Border Patrol has resulted in increased personnel at New Mexico's border with Mexico. For example, in 1993, when President Clinton proposed cutting 93 border patrol positions in his budget, Senator Domenici fought to restore the positions and succeeded in securing funding for an additional 600 border patrol agents. In 1999, Senator Domenici secured a $7.85 million appropriation for the construction of a permanent Border Patrol facility near the Santa Teresa port of entry this facility, which was completed and opened in 2001. Since 2004, he has helped secure funding for thousands of new border patrol agents, who are trained at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, New Mexico before being deployed to secure the border.

Guest Worker Programs

New Mexico has historically faced shortages of agricultural laborers, particularly in harvesting chile and onion crops. To meet the state's labor needs and help curtail illegal immigration, Senator Domenici has supported some proposals for legal guest worker programs. Senator Domenici traveled to Mexico City in January 2001 as a member of the first Congressional delegation to meet with Mexican President Vicente Fox after his inauguration. At this meeting, Senator Domenici, along with Senator Phil Gramm, announced with Fox the need for reforms to U.S. guest-worker laws and endorsed a new proposal geared to help reduce illegal immigration to the United States and benefit Mexican migrant workers.

For more information on the INS and Border Patrol, please visit:
www.immigration.gov

For more on Appropriations, please visit:
www.appropriations.senate.gov

For more information on Senator Domenici's views and activities on immigration, visit our online News Center.

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