Southern Border Security

#### BRIEF

Border security along our southern border has many issues that need to be fixed to provide security for Americans and equity in our immigration system. You need look no further than the stats on how many undocumented individuals are living in the US, or the amount of drugs that have been apprehended along the border (suggesting a much larger amount that’s made it through).

Many proposals would be expensive and ineffective, while also being ecologically disastrous. The issue has become politicized to the point where there doesn’t seem to be any possible compromise, but our leaders are focusing on single solutions instead of the solutions proposed by groups across the political spectrum.

When searching for solutions, we need to work with border security experts, immigrant advocates, and the Mexican government to provide effective, secure, humane border security.

See Andrew’s policies on a Pathway to Citizenship (*Make Them Earn It*), and on the DREAM Act, to get a more complete view of how Andrew would tackle the immigration and border security issue.

*We need to enforce the border. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike agree that this is a pressing need for the good of both citizens and those who wish to come here.  Though there are new technologies that could help, the best approaches are to do what we are currently doing better with more resources.*

#### PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED

* Large numbers of people are entering the United States illegally, causing economic hardship in certain areas while also preventing us from knowing who, exactly, is in our country
* Illegal immigration is risky for those who are engaging in it (and are at the mercy of so-called “coyotes”), and it hurts those who are trying to immigrate legally
* Cartels and individuals are trafficking drugs and humans into and out of the US
* Our asylum system is flooded with cases, resulting in people being enticed to come to the US and ask for asylum so they can stay here for years before their case comes up
* Ineffective solutions have become the only solutions that are being discussed with any level of specificity

##### Goals

* Safeguard Americans
* Decrease the number of people entering this country illegally
* Protect victims of trafficking
* Stop the flow of illegal drugs from Mexico into the US
* Prevent cartel violence from affecting America
* Provide a humane experience for those seeking asylum

##### Guiding Principles

* Humanity
* Security
* Efficiency

#### As President, I will…

* Increase funding to secure our landed ports of entry, where most drugs enter the United States
* Increase funding to our Customs Enforcement teams that are tasked with preventing human trafficking both into and out of the US
* Invest in technologies such as ground and aerial sensors, and video towers, to allow for efficient and effective means of monitoring stretches of the US/Mexico border that are rarely crossed but still provide means of entering the US
* Provide body cameras for all agents along the US/Mexico border
* Invest heavily in protecting and renewing the Rio Grande, which serves as a great natural boundary, and is currently ecologically struggling
* Provide all resources necessary to allow our asylum court system to function properly, lowering the backlog of cases and thus removing one of the prime reasons we’ve seen “caravans” increasing in size and frequency
* Work with the Mexican government on all of these initiatives, as well as anti-cartel initiatives, to ensure a positive relationship that allows both countries to serve the needs of their citizens