New bills: effective border security

Hi there,

I want to talk to you about a new bipartisan bill I introduced recently that will strengthen our northern and southern borders: the INTEL at Our Borders Act. This legislation will help enhance our border security and infrastructure through the use of new and innovative technologies.

Our immigration system is broken, and politicians on both sides have failed to address the issue for decades. It’s clear that the only way forward is by reaching across the aisle. 

Introduced in partnership with representatives from both northern and southern border states, and endorsed by the Bipartisan Policy Center, this bill will support our national security while preserving our values and benefitting small businesses being hurt by worker shortages.

The legislation directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to:

• Assess how new and emerging technology is currently being used at the border.
• Identify areas of the northern and southern border where new programs can be deployed.
• Explain how outdated programs can be replaced by new technology.
• Demonstrate how new technology is being researched and developed in coordination with the private sector.

Through the use of these emerging technologies, we can ensure our borders are secured smartly and effectively, while also relieving staff shortages faced by CBP agents and officers.

Border security and American values aren’t mutually exclusive, which is why I also introduced a bill to ensure migrants in short-term custody are treated humanely and respectfully. The Short Term Detention Standards Act will require that migrants receive basic necessities such as bathrooms, water, appropriate nutrition, and sanitation items. 

And this past week, my Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) Pilot Program Act, which will expand ‘PreCheck for freight,’ so that more cargo can move more quickly from Canada and the U.S., passed out of the House Committee on Homeland Security with bipartisan support.

Border security shouldn’t be driven by politics – it should be treated as the objective, national security issue that it is. As a national security official by training, I have spent my career protecting the homeland, and as chair of the House Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism I will continue to support the integrity of our borders and migrant processing.

– Rep. Elissa Slotkin