Pappas Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Law Enforcement Operations at the Southern Border

Yesterday Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01), Dave Joyce (OH-14), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), and Susie Lee (NV-03)introduced the bipartisan Advanced Border Coordination Act to strengthen law enforcement operations and collaboration at the southern border.

Building off the successes of state-run fusion centers, this legislation would establish Joint Operation Centers along the southern border to serve as centralized operating hubs tasked with coordinating border operations, information sharing, and workforce training. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has periodically established joint operations hubs to help multiple law enforcement agencies work together to strengthen border security and crack down on transnational criminal activity. 

“Strengthening border operations coordination will bolster efforts to crack down on drug trafficking, help enforce our immigration laws, and keep our communities safe. I’m helping introduce the Advanced Border Coordination Act, which will do just that,” said Congressman Pappas. “This bipartisan bill would establish joint centers along the southern border to serve as centralized hubs to coordinate border operations between Border Patrol personnel and federal, state, and local law enforcement. I’ll keep fighting to support the work of our law enforcement, provide them the resources they need, and address the root causes of the issues at the southern border.”

The Advanced Border Coordination Act would help address these national security concerns by: 

• Directing DHS to establish at least two joint operations centers along the southern border. These hubs would help law enforcement from multiple Federal, State, local and Tribal agencies coordinate their efforts and better work together. 
• Requiring these centralized hubs to serve as resources to improve field operations and intelligence sharing, help detect and deter criminal activity like drug and human trafficking, and support workforce development and training coordination between participating agencies. 
• Directing the DHS Secretary to issue an annual report to Congress on the centers’ operational activities and recommendations for coordinated federal actions at the southern border. 

Participating agencies would include DHS, the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, other federal agencies as the DHS Secretary determines appropriate, and state, local, and tribal agencies that voluntarily choose to participate.

The bill has been endorsed by the National Border Patrol Council, National Immigration Forum, the Texas Border Coalition, and the Major Cities Chiefs Association. A companion bill was previously introduced in the Senate by Senators Cortez-Masto (D-NV) and Blackburn (R-TN). 

Background:

Pappas has been an ardent supporter of bipartisan efforts to address America’s northern and southern border and has called on House Republican leadership to stop blocking the consideration of legislation to restore order and fix the U.S.’s immigration system that has been broken for decades. 

Pappas is a cosponsor of the Dignity Act, which is comprehensive, bipartisan legislation to address security and infrastructure challenges at the border, hire additional border patrol personnel, establish new pathways for asylum seekers, and create a path to citizenship.

In March, Pappas helped launch a new border security task force to focus on the need for comprehensive, bipartisan solutions to address the border and fix the broken immigration system. Later that month, Pappas helped to pass the fiscal year 2024 government funding package, which included a $3.2 billion increase in funding for Customs and Border Patrol (CPB), providing for a record 22,000 agents, including 150 counter-fentanyl officers, and needed investments in fentanyl detection equipment.

In September 2023, Pappas called on House leadership to advance a supplemental appropriations package that expands fentanyl interdiction capacity and improves border security across the country, including along our northern border.