FCNL submitted this statement to the House Committee on Homeland Security, pertaining to the markup of H.R. 3548, the Border Security for America Act.
The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) seeks border enforcement policies that treat all individuals with respect and dignity. Protection of human and civil rights in border enforcement policies is essential to safeguarding the integrity of our society. However current enforcement practices are devastating our border communities, contributing to the deaths of thousands of migrants traveling in remote desert regions, and violating the rights of U.S. citizens and migrants alike. As written, H.R. 3548 would exacerbate these injustices. FCNL urges members of Congress to oppose this bill.
The U.S. already spends more than $18 billion annually on border security. H.R. 3548 would add an estimated $15 billion over a four year period through an increase of personnel, drones, surveillance technology, barriers and fencing, and patrols. This increase comes just after a report from the Office of the Inspector General highlighted that the border has never been more difficult to cross undetected or unauthorized.^1
The border regions are home to vibrant binational and indigenous communities, and border cities are among the safest in the United States. However, border enforcement practices over the last decade have resulted in a deterioration of the quality of life for border communities by impeding the growth and vitality of businesses, and leading to systemic violations of civil and human rights. Doubling the number of Border Patrol agents deployed in border communities over a ten-year period has left community members feeling frustrated, disempowered, targeted, and racially profiled. Too many individuals have died after an encounter with DHS personnel.^2
H.R. 3548 would follow in the same pattern of rapid, unprecedented expansion without commensurate focus on accountability, transparency, and the protection of human and civil rights. The bill waives multiple federal laws to give unimpeded access and jurisdiction to agents patrolling the border region. It seeks to hire 10,000 additional Customs and Border Protection agents while abandoning essential hiring safeguards designed to protect communities from being patrolled by corrupt or abusive agents. This will undoubtedly have a negative impact on the rights of border communities and result in environmental degradation, and violations of tribal sovereignty. H.R. 3548 will not make border regions safer.
Congress should instead turn to enacting long overdue reforms as outlined in the Border Enforcement Accountability, Oversight, and Community Engagement Act of 2017 (H.R. 3020). This bipartisan legislation was crafted by members who represent border districts in consultation with their constituencies. It strives to address realities facing northern and southern border communities by ensuring those directly affected by border policies have a voice in their development, providing expanded training for CBP agents and officers, and establishing mechanisms for CBP to be more transparent and accountable. The bill calls for adequate training and continuing education for Border Patrol, with a focus on non-lethal enforcement and protection of civil rights. Through establishing dedicated mechanisms to foster trust between CBP agents and community members, this legislation will instate long overdue good governance practices.
For true border security, Congress must invest in the protection of the constitutional rights of border communities. H.R. 3548 would perpetuate the exact opposite, and members of Congress should oppose it.
FCNL is the oldest registered religious lobby in the United States. Founded in 1943 and governed by Quakers, FCNL works with a nationwide network of tens of thousands of people from every state to advocate for social and economic justice, peace, and good government.
