Work on northern border different, crucial, officials say

Both U.S. Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin said Wednesday that a new focus is on the northern border, and it takes a different view than working on the southern border.

"This is a different type of border It's large, it's sparsely populated and it needs to have lots of smaller ports along its length, but in the meantime we need to work to strike the right balance (between trade and travel and security)," Napolitano said during a town hall meeting in Havre.

Bersin said he is paying attention to the northern border.

"One of the first things (Napolitano) said to me was, this time you've got to also be concerned about the northern border," he said. "And she's never let me forget that, and I've never forgotten that."

Napolitano said a key to successfully defending and operating the northern border is for different agencies — including various federal agencies along with state, tribal and local agencies — working together.

Another is in working closely with the Canadian government with border issues. The two countries have a close relationship on trade and security issues, she said.

"This is a border that divides, but it also is a border that needs to unite in some very fundamental ways," she said. "And we need to be sure it is a living, breathing border where people and … commerce can go back and forth" while ensuring the security of the United States.

"Not always the easiest balance to strike," she added.

Napolitano and Bersin addressed a number of issues raised by audience members at a town hall meeting in Havre Wednesday.

One was the status of the drug trade on the northern border.

Bersin said things have changed in recent years — while the drug activity still is very high on the southern border of the United States, it has increased on the northern border.

The traffic appears to be going both directions, he said. Marijuana is being illegally brought into the United States from Canada, while cocaine is being transported in the other direction.

"That's the pattern we see, and we are watching it very closely," he said.

Bob Waldron, who said he moved his construction business from Colorado to Montana three years ago because he couldn't compete due to the number of illegal immigrants there, directed a request to Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester.

Waldron said legal businesses can't compete against those paying low wages to illegal immigrants, and even companies started by the illegal immigrants. He requested that Baucus and Tester propose legislation imposing a $20,000 fine on employers for every illegal alien hired and giving rewards to whistle-blowers who turn in illegal immigrants.

Napolitano said the actual number of illegal immigrants coming into the country each year is dropping — although the number still is not acceptable.

"It's less than half than it was a few years ago," she said.

She agreed that the illegal immigration is labor-driven, and said the federal government does fund efforts to prosecute illegal hirings, although she agreed that the federal penalties might need to be stiffened.

The group also heard from Ian Marquand, representative from the Interoperability Montana Project, which is building a seamless communication system for law enforcement and emergency services.

Marquand said he was asked to address two issues. One is to find some way through treaties or agreements to work with the Canadian officials on the communications issues.

Napolitano said that is an important issue her department can work on.

"That's the value of getting out of Washington, D.C., is you find out what needs to happen," she said.

Marquand also said something needs to change in how grants are distributed. Much of the funding for Interoperability Montana is through Department of Homeland Security grants, but the distribution of those grants seem to go more to heavily populated areas, he said. He asked if something could be done to distribute grants based on geographic area as well as population.

Baucus said he has long noticed — and fought the fact — that federal grants tend to be skewed to urban areas.

"We hear you loud and clear," he said. "It's clear enough, and it's not acceptable."

Both U.S. Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin said Wednesday that a new focus is on the northern border, and it takes a different view than working on the southern border.

"This is a different type of border It's large, it's sparsely populated and it needs to have lots of smaller ports along its length, but in the meantime we need to work to strike the right balance (between trade and travel and security)," Napolitano said during a town hall meeting in Havre.

Bersin said he is paying attention to the northern border.

"One of the first things (Napolitano) said to me was, this time you've got to also be concerned about the northern border," he said. "And she's never let me forget that, and I've never forgotten that."

Napolitano said a key to successfully defending and operating the northern border is for different agencies — including various federal agencies along with state, tribal and local agencies — working together.

Another is in working closely with the Canadian government with border issues. The two countries have a close relationship on trade and security issues, she said.

"This is a border that divides, but it also is a border that needs to unite in some very fundamental ways," she said. "And we need to be sure it is a living, breathing border where people and … commerce can go back and forth" while ensuring the security of the United States.

"Not always the easiest balance to strike," she added.

Napolitano and Bersin addressed a number of issues raised by audience members at a town hall meeting in Havre Wednesday.

One was the status of the drug trade on the northern border.

Bersin said things have changed in recent years — while the drug activity still is very high on the southern border of the United States, it has increased on the northern border.

The traffic appears to be going both directions, he said. Marijuana is being illegally brought into the United States from Canada, while cocaine is being transported in the other direction.

"That's the pattern we see, and we are watching it very closely," he said.

Bob Waldron, who said he moved his construction business from Colorado to Montana three years ago because he couldn't compete due to the number of illegal immigrants there, directed a request to Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester.

Waldron said legal businesses can't compete against those paying low wages to illegal immigrants, and even companies started by the illegal immigrants. He requested that Baucus and Tester propose legislation imposing a $20,000 fine on employers for every illegal alien hired and giving rewards to whistle-blowers who turn in illegal immigrants.

Napolitano said the actual number of illegal immigrants coming into the country each year is dropping — although the number still is not acceptable.

"It's less than half than it was a few years ago," she said.

She agreed that the illegal immigration is labor-driven, and said the federal government does fund efforts to prosecute illegal hirings, although she agreed that the federal penalties might need to be stiffened.

The group also heard from Ian Marquand, representative from the Interoperability Montana Project, which is building a seamless communication system for law enforcement and emergency services.

Marquand said he was asked to address two issues. One is to find some way through treaties or agreements to work with the Canadian officials on the communications issues.

Napolitano said that is an important issue her department can work on.

"That's the value of getting out of Washington, D.C., is you find out what needs to happen," she said.

Marquand also said something needs to change in how grants are distributed. Much of the funding for Interoperability Montana is through Department of Homeland Security grants, but the distribution of those grants seem to go more to heavily populated areas, he said. He asked if something could be done to distribute grants based on geographic area as well as population.

Baucus said he has long noticed — and fought the fact — that federal grants tend to be skewed to urban areas.

"We hear you loud and clear," he said. "It's clear enough, and it's not acceptable."