U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich urged U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to promptly address border security and safety issues in the Bootheel region of Southern New Mexico.
In a letter to CBP Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske, Udall and Heinrich called for the agency to provide resources and equipment to help local Border Patrol agents more effectively patrol the region’s vast rugged terrain.
The senators are responding to residents who have raised concerns about border security, particularly in recent months, as well as concerns from Border Patrol agents and CBP leadership.
“Our meetings with local residents and officials helped to identify several actions that you could take to help make the border more secure and help our constituents feel safer in their homes,” the lawmakers wrote. “We respectfully ask that you consider each of these proposals and take appropriate action to implement them as soon as possible.”
Agents need additional horses, all-terrain vehicles and related equipment, such as night vision technology, the senators wrote. Additionally, the Border Patrol station in the remote region struggles with high agent turnover. The senators asked CBP to provide incentives to increase agent retention.
Specifically, Udall and Heinrich urged CBP to take the following actions, which reflect input from CPB, local law enforcement, local and state leaders and area residents:
- Address turnover by providing financial incentives, such as bonuses for multi-year commitments and cost of living adjustments, and non-financial incentives, such as priority consideration for vacancies in high-interest locations;
- Provide at least a dozen additional horses and related equipment, and assess the need for additional all-terrain vehicles to increase agents’ ability to access and effectively patrol the Bootheel’s rugged and mountainous terrain; and
- Work with the National Guard to ensure counter-narcotic assets act as force multipliers and help the Border Patrol to cover more territory via increased use of available helicopters.
The full text of the letter is available here.