05.23.07

Cantwell Amendment Would Help Northern Border Communities with Security Costs

border communities spending millions in local taxpayer dollars to prosecute federal border crimes

WASHINGTON, DC - Wednesday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced her northern border prosecution initiative as an amendment to the pending Senate immigration bill. This measure would set up a reimbursement program to help border communities continue their vital role in keeping our country secure without breaking their budgets.

"We cannot forget about security along our porous, 4,000-mile northern border," said Cantwell. "We need parity for our northern border and that means helping communities out with security costs. We already reimburse southern border communities for prosecution costs. There is no reason why our northern border communities should get left behind."

Modeled on an existing, successful program for the southwest border, the Northern Border Prosecution Initiative Reimbursement Act would authorize $28 million annually to reimburse northern border communities for the cost of prosecuting cases, detaining suspects, and constructing holding spaces. Reimbursements would cover investigations and arrests initiated by federal law enforcement officers, as well as any case involving a violation of federal border security law referred to state or local authorities for prosecution.

Border counties pay for and prosecute as many as 85 percent of the border arrests made in Washington state each year, with Whatcom County alone spending approximately $2 million each year to prosecute these crimes.

Congressman Rick Larsen (D-WA) has introduced the measure as stand-alone legislation in the House. Larsen first introduced the bill in the House in 2002, and he and Cantwell have reintroduced it in each successive Congress since. In 2006, the Senate version was included in the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act passed by the Senate. However, the immigration legislation later stalled and the Northern Border Prosecution Initiative Reimbursement Act never received final approval from Congress.

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