Washington, D.C. – Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) has released the following statement in response to President Bush’s address to the nation tonight on immigration reform:
"Securing our borders must be the first priority as we tackle the difficult issue of immigration reform. The fact that more than 11 million immigrants are in our country illegally underscores that current border enforcement is woefully inadequate. I have questions, however, about the President’s proposal to use our National Guard troops for border security. Our Guard units are already stretched thin by overseas deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Bosnia, and I am concerned about adding another burden to their missions.
"I am pleased that the President is supporting an expansion of cooperative efforts among law enforcement officials at all levels of government. One program that has facilitated such cooperation is Operation Stonegarden that has been very successful in the State of Maine. Twenty-two state, county, local, and tribal agencies have assisted the Border Patrol Sector in Houlton, Maine with increased patrols that have led both to arrests and to the detection of suspicious incidents. For a modest investment, Operation Stonegarden stretches available federal resources to cover border that would otherwise be largely exposed and vulnerable.”
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