Statement of Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Subcommittee on Immigration, Senate Judiciary Committee, Hearing On Ways To Improve Border Security

February 10, 2000

First, I would like to thank Senators Abraham and Kennedy for holding this hearing on an issue that is so important to the residents of my state of Vermont. I would also like to thank the witnesses who have come here today from the Customs Service, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the National Border Patrol Council, all of which play such a crucial role in maintaining the security of our nation.

This hearing is particularly appropriate at this time, considering the significant public attention garnered by the border arrests that occurred over the holiday season in Vermont and Washington state. Last December 19, border guards in Beecher Falls, Vermont, arrested a Canadian woman, Lucia Garofalo, who was bringing an illegal Algerian immigrant across the border. She has been charged with seven felony counts of alien smuggling and misuses of identification documents.

Ms. Garofalo's arrest followed on the heels of the arrest of Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian who was apprehended in Washington state while trying to enter the United States from Canada with 100 pounds of bomb-making supplies. Federal prosecutors in Burlington, Vermont, are investigating potential links between Ms. Garofalo and Mr. Ressam. I am heartened by the outstanding work of law enforcement officials in Vermont and throughout the United States in this matter – their excellent service allowed our country to avert what could have been a terrible tragedy. I am also appreciative of the assistance that Canada has provided to assist American investigators.

I strongly support providing additional resources – in the form of additional officers, support personnel, and equipment – to assist federal and local law enforcement officers who patrol our northern border. Our southern border has received the vast portion of our attention over the last decade, but the events of the last two months demonstrate that we need to be more attentive to the concerns raised by our border with Canada. That is why I am a cosponsor of S. 745, the Border Improvement and Immigration Act, which would provide additional resources to the INS, Border Patrol, and Customs Service.

Although recent events have confirmed the need to ensure that our northern border is effectively patrolled, it is important that our reaction to these events be a measured one. It is worth noting that although December yielded an important and high-profile case along our northern border, it was in some ways an ordinary month for the Border Patrol. As the Burlington (Vt.) Free Press reported last month, the number of illegal and criminal aliens apprehended along our border in Canada during that month was typical. Despite this fact, some have recently renewed their calls to implement draconian border inspection procedures that would cripple traffic and trade at our borders with Canada. Such a step would be extremely harmful to the entire American economy, and especially to our northern states. It would also be disproportionate to the threats we face. We should not lose sight of the fact that our law enforcement officers were able to stop the alleged terrorists who apparently sought to harm our citizens. If our officers need additional help, we should provide it. That, and not closing our borders, is the appropriate way to battle this threat.