Joyce, Ciscomani, Lee, Pappas Introduce Bill to Strengthen Law Enforcement Operations at the Southern Border

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representatives Dave Joyce (OH-14), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Susie Lee (NV-03), and Chris Pappas (NH-01) 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. 

“I’ve visited the southern border, including in Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District with Congressman Ciscomani, and seen the crisis unfolding there firsthand,” said Congressman Joyce. “For the safety of our communities, we have to restore the rule of law and secure our borders, and DHS must take serious steps to improve its coordination with partner agencies. This bill will help us do just that. As a former prosecutor, I know how successful joint operations centers can be, especially when it comes to detecting drug and human trafficking, and have no doubt they will help us address the national security crisis that has exploded at our southern border. I’m proud to join colleagues in this bipartisan effort and will continue to provide our law enforcement officers with the resources and tools they need to effectively defend and maintain our borders.”

 “For the last three and a half years, border-districts, like mine, have been on the frontlines of the crisis at the southern border,” said Congressman Ciscomani. “As a result, our communities are less safe and Customs and Border Protection agents and local law enforcement officers are overwhelmed and overworked. This bipartisan legislation will address this issue by establishing joint operation centers to enhance coordination between federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and provide officers and agents the tools they need to combat drug traffickers, human smugglers, and other bad actors.”

“Border Patrol officers need all the help they can get to protect our southern border, and Joint Operation Centers are a proven way to make that happen,” said Congresswoman Lee. “I’ve consistently voted to secure the resources and reforms we need to fix our broken immigration system, and this bipartisan bill is a big step in the right direction. I’ll continue working with Republicans and Democrats to get this much-needed legislation signed into law.” 

“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: 

1. 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. 
2. 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. 
3. 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). ###