Rep. Duarte and Daniel Garza Co-Author Op-Ed in the Merced County Times

Op-ed Focuses on how we can harness technology to solve some of the largest issues on our southern border

Arlington, VA  — Recently, Rep. John Duarte and Daniel Garza, president and founder of The LIBRE Initiative, co-authored an opinion column on the potential solutions to our very real southern border problem. CongressmanDuarte charts a pathway to getting back on track in his new bill, Integrating New Technologies to Empower Law Enforcement (INTEL). 

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The article reads in part:

“I have a deeply personal connection to the immigration system, and I am committed to solving not just the lack of clear legal pathways but to innovate new solutions that address the humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border.”

“My new bill, the Integrating New Technologies to Empower Law Enforcement (INTEL) at Our Borders Act goes back to the basics and focuses on what our border agents need in order to do their jobs and keep them safer in the process.” – Congressman John Duarte

New reports show that there are nearly two and a half million encounters a year at our southern border. With only 19,000 agents covering 6000 miles of open border, the job of securing our entrance to the south is increasingly difficult. 

“This astounding statistic doesn’t just capture how limited our capability is for securing the border but also clearly captures why we need to find new ways that aren’t exclusively dependent on manpower to meet the challenges of our border crisis…” 

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Background

The southern border is experiencing a record number of encounters. Thecurrent personnel levels alone are insufficient to monitor and enforce as needed. 

In fact, just this month, a federal law enforcement source stated that Mexican government officials seized ten improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the border. 

With the right technology, the U.S. Border Patrol has a better shot of tracking and engaging cartel members and smugglers. 

Daniel Garza is the President of The LIBRE Initiative, the nation’s largest center-right Latino organization committed to freedom-minded solutions that remove barriers to opportunity and empower individuals.