DHS Addresses Border Security and Immigration Challenges

Border Security

1. The Administration will continue to Strengthen Security at the Border with Additional Personnel and Infrastructure. We are committed to implementing the following border security measures by December 31, 2008:

• 18,300 Border Patrol agents
• 370 miles of fencing
• 300 miles of vehicle barriers
• 105 camera and radar towers
• Three additional UAVs

We will also work to ensure that 1,700 more Border Patrol Agents and an additional UAV are added in 2009.

2. The Administration will Maintain the Policy of "Catch and Return" for Illegal Aliens Apprehended at the Border. For years, limited detention space forced the release of many illegal border crossers from nations other than Mexico with nothing more than a Notice to Appear for a hearing before an immigration judge. Many aliens ignored these notices and instead blended into U.S. society. The Administration has ended this practice and instituted a policy of "catch and return," ensuring that all removable aliens caught trying to cross the border illegally are held until they can be removed.

• The Administration Will Further Increase Funding for Detention Beds So There are Places to Detain 31,500 Illegal Aliens Until They Can Be Returned.
• The Administration Will Also Press Recalcitrant Countries to Work with the United States to Repatriate Citizens Who Are in the United States Illegally.

3. The Departments of State and Homeland Security Will Strengthen Legal Efforts to Keep International Gang Members out of the United States. Gangs are at the root of many U.S. crime problems today, and many of the most dangerous gangs draw significant membership from abroad. The Federal government already denies visas to known members of certain gangs from China, the former Soviet Union, and El Salvador. Today, the President is directing the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to expand this list of dangerous organized gangs from other nations and to ensure that members of those gangs are barred from entry into the United States.

4. The Administration Will Expand Exit Requirements So Persons Who Overstay Limited-Duration Visits To The United States Can Be Identified.

• By The End Of 2008, The US-VISIT Exit Requirement Will Be Underway At All U.S. Airports And Seaports. The Department of Homeland Security will continue to explore effective and cost-efficient means of establishing biometric exit requirements at land border crossings.
• The Administration Will Establish A New Land-Border Exit System For Guest Workers, Starting On A Pilot Basis. This will help ensure that temporary workers in the country now follow the mandate to leave when their work authorization expires.

5. The Administration Will Require All Travelers To Our Ports Of Entry To Use Passports Or Other Similar Secure Documents. Since January 2007, air travelers have been required to carry a passport for entry into the United States. Because of passport processing backlogs, a temporary accommodation has been made for U.S. citizens traveling in the Western Hemisphere, which will be phased out. Starting January 31, 2008, DHS will phase in a requirement for passports or other secure documents for sea and land ports of entry.

6. Beginning This Fall, The Secretary Of Homeland Security Will Deliver Regular "State Of The Border" Reports. These reports will keep the American people informed of the Federal Government's