I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1867 

To authorize additional resources for the Department of Homeland Security 

to enhance security activities along the international border with Mexico, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 2, 2009 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK of Arizona (for herself and Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Homeland Security 

A BILL 

To authorize additional resources for the Department of 

Homeland Security to enhance security activities along 

the international border with Mexico, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Border Violence Pre5 vention Act of 2009’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF BORDER SECURITY OPERATIONS 

2 ALONG SOUTHWEST BORDER. 

3 The Secretary of Homeland Security shall expand 

4 border security operations along the southwest border be5 tween the United States and Mexico, including the south6 bound inspection and investigation of vehicles, to— 

7 (1) reduce the potential for border violence; 

8 (2) enhance border security; and 

9 (3) prevent the illicit flow of arms and bulk 

10 cash across such southwest border. 

11 SEC. 3. UNITED STATES CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTEC12 TION. 

13 (a) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out section 2, the Sec14 retary of Homeland Security, acting through the Commis15 sioner of United States Customs and Border Protection, 

16 shall— 

17 (1) increase southbound border security infra18 structure and inspection capabilities at ports of 

19 entry located on the southwest border between the 

20 United States and Mexico; 

21 (2) acquire and deploy at least two x-ray mobile 

22 inspection units to such southwest border; 

23 (3) acquire and deploy at least ten dual detec24 tion canine teams to such southwest border; 

25 (4) equip with license plate readers the out26 bound lanes at ports of entry located on such southVerDate Nov 24 2008 00:32 Apr 07, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1867.IH H1867

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1 west border, as determined appropriate by the Sec2 retary; 

3 (5) acquire and equip United States Customs 

4 and Border Protection personnel with body armor; 

5 and 

6 (6) take any other related actions or activities 

7 required under section 2 to expand border security 

8 operations on such southwest border. 

9 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

10 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Home11 land Security $70,000,000 to carry out the border security 

12 operations required under subsection (a). 

13 SEC. 4. UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS EN14 FORCEMENT. 

15 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

16 (1) United States Immigration and Customs 

17 Enforcement’s Border Enforcement Security 

18 Taskforce (BEST) units operate within the Depart19 ment of Homeland Security to enhance border secu20 rity and reduce cross-border violence by coordinating 

21 the enforcement and information sharing activities 

22 of Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies along the 

23 southwest border between the United States and 

24 Mexico. 


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1 (2) The Department of Homeland Security, 

2 through United States Immigration and Customs 

3 Enforcement’s ‘‘Armas Cruzadas’’, coordinates key 

4 enforcement and intelligence personnel to address 

5 the border security threat represented by the illegal 

6 export of weapons from the United States into Mex7 ico. 

8 (3) An increase in United States Immigration 

9 and Customs Enforcement resources along such 

10 southwest border will help prevent cross-border vio11 lence by helping to reduce the illicit flow of narcotics 

12 into the United States and arms and bulk cash into 

13 Mexico. 

14 (b) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out section 2, the Sec15 retary of Homeland Security, acting through the Assistant 

16 Secretary of United States Immigration and Customs En17 forcement, shall— 

18 (1) hire and deploy at least 100 additional 

19 United States Immigration and Customs Enforce20 ment personnel to be assigned to Border Enforce21 ment Security Taskforce units involved in efforts to 

22 reduce southwest border violence over the number of 

23 such personnel so assigned as of the date of the en24 actment of this Act; 


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1 (2) improve existing Border Enforcement Secu2 rity Taskforce facilities and acquire new space for 

3 Border Enforcement Security Taskforce units along 

4 such southwest border locations; 

5 (3) increase resources and personnel for Oper6 ation Armas Cruzadas over the resources obligated 

7 and personnel so assigned as of the date of the en8 actment of this Act; and 

9 (4) take any other related actions or activities 

10 required under section 2 to expand border security 

11 operations on such southwest border. 

12 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

13 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Home14 land Security $30,000,000 to carry out the border security 

15 operations required under subsection (b). 

16 SEC. 5. COORDINATION. 

17 The Secretary of Homeland Security shall coordinate 

18 with the heads of other relevant Federal, State, local, and 

19 tribal agencies, as appropriate, to carry out in a com20 prehensive manner the border security operations required 

21 under this Act. 

Æ 


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