Tester talks about security, trafficking

Senator, Homeland Security deputy

secretary visit Havre

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas were in Havre Wednesday where they held a press conference and later a roundtable discussion on the issue of human trafficking with state, local and federal law enforcement officials, at the U.S Border Patrol Station in Havre.

"Sen. Tester wanted me to come to Montana to better understand the challenges the northern border poses, to meet members of the community, law enforcement and state and local officials," said Mayorakas.

The event was the last in a two-day series of listening sessions the pair hosted throughout the state. Tuesday, Tester and Mayorkas, who served as director of Citizenship and Immigration from 2009 to 2013 before assuming his current position, held two listening sessions at Helena Airport, one with law enforcement and justice officials and a second with emergency first responders.

Before arriving at the Border Patrol Station by helicopter, Tester and Mayorkas visited a port of entry along the border and talked with business leaders at an event in Sweetgrass.

Tester, who farms near Big Sandy and senior member on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs committees as well as the Senate Appropriation subcommittee which provide funding and oversees efforts to secure the nation's borders, said that the visit afforded Montanans the chance to voice their concerns about issues related to border security.

Though much of the focus of efforts to secure the U.S borders center on illegal immigration at the southern border, Tester said that the dynamics of the situations on both borders differ.

"I think you are looking at immigration on the southern border, and I think up here you are looking at the drug trade, you are looking at trafficking and you are looking at terrorism potentially," Tester said.

According to data from Homeland Security, 2,200 Border Patrol agents police the 5,525 miles of border the U.S shares with Canada.

Tester said the concerns he has heard and information he has gathered on this trip will be used to help illustrate the situation and meet the needs of those securing the U.S Northern border when he returns to Washington.

According to Tester, one point of vulnerability he heard about throughout his discussions is the inability of law enforcement agencies to communicate with one another.

"If there was one issue that came up it was inoperability, the ability of Highway Patrol to talk with county sheriffs, or talk with various law enforcement or border protection," said Tester.

On that front, Tester said, the government can do better.

"We're not where we need to be and we're going to need to develop a plan that doesn't break the bank but meets the needs of our law enforcement and firefighters by the way, because it's the same problem that exists there."