New Bill Would Require DHS to Develop Border Security Plan

By Joey Palacios, Texas Public Radio News

SAN ANTONIO –  The Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee and a Texas Senator have introduced a bill that would require the Department of Homeland Security to develop a national strategy  plan to secure the border.

The Border Security Results Act of 2013 is being introduced by Congressman Michael McCaul and Senator John Cornyn of Texas.  The Bill would require Homeland Security to develop and implement a border security plan within 180 days of its passage and report periodically to congress.

Representative McCaul touted points of entry near Tucson and San Diego for security but says the entire border needs the same reinforcement.

MICHAEL MCCAUL:  “We need to look at this comprehensively with the entire border itself.  A lot of it is not secure, a lot of it is wide is open and I think that’s why the situational awareness, the metrics, measuring performance to gauge success is so important to this.”

The bill doesn’t call for any specific methods, but would require the use of new technology to apprehend 90% of illegal border crossings, and cut the wait times for legal border crossings at ports of entry in half.