Border Security Council Report - Office of the Governor - Rick Perry

Section Four: Summary of Public hearings and Open Meetings
Members of the Border Security Council traveled along the border during the fall and winter of 2007 to
listen to the concerns of the border residents and obtain their input. The Council heard from city and county
officials, state leaders, and local citizens. Public hearings were held in five locations: McAllen, Laredo, El
Paso, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi. The Council believed that it was important to travel to all areas of
the border in order to get a comprehensive understanding of the issues and needs for different areas along
the border, a coastal corridor, and a major inland metropolitan area.
Major themes that arose out of the hearings included 5 :
The federal government has not done enough to secure the border. Governor Perry and the Texas
Legislature have shown leadership on this issue.
Border security should not undermine economic development.
Current federal grant requirements are confusing and geared toward more inland cities, such as
Houston.
The State should not exceed the scope of its authority, such as funding local and state officers to
conduct immigration investigations at the workplace.
Resources should be enhanced to better detect and deter northbound and southbound smuggling.
Local, state, and federal law enforcement along the border need an enhanced radio communications
capability to support operations and better ensure officer safety.
Overtime for law enforcement officers does increase patrol capacity but eventually exceeds the
officers’ ability to use it, and funding for additional local officers is needed.
Unified policing operations such as Linebacker, Rio Grande, Wrangler, and Border Star are effective.
The Salt Cedar and Carrizo Cane that grows unabated along the Rio Grande River impedes border
security enforcement operations and poses a threat to local, state, and federal law enforcement
officers.
Members of the Border Security Council held three open meetings in Austin to review and approve the
various performance measures, reporting requirements and audit methods necessary to review state grant
funds, and to vote on their proposed allocation of discretionary state funds. Presentations regarding these
metrics were made by Steve McCraw, Director, Office of Homeland Security, and, Louri O’Leary, Governor’s
Office of Economic Development.
5 Minutes of all public hearings can be located in Appendix C.
Section Four: Summary of Public Hearings and Open Meetings