WHAT WE'RE DOING TO SECURE THE BORDER

Last Year, Illegal Crossings In The Southwest Were Down 23%, To A Fraction
Of Their All-Time High.

Yesterday, after months of heated rhetoric and debate about Arizona's
controversial new immigration law, federal Judge Susan Bolton blocked
most of SB 1070 from taking effect. The move served as an important
affirmation of the federal government's responsibility in enforcing
our nation's immigration laws. But regardless of what happened with
this case, this administration will continue to enforce the law, just
as we have been doing for the past 18 months: with unprecedented
resources and a clear commitment to serious, smart and effective
enforcement that has yielded important results.

We are career prosecutors who lead the two main border and immigration
enforcement agencies in the United States-U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
We know the paramount importance of enforcing the law and we
understand the federal government's responsibilities. And what we have
seen on the border, at workplaces, and in communities across America
in the past 18 months represents the most serious approach to
enforcement we have witnessed in our careers.

At the border we have concentrated unprecedented amounts of manpower,
infrastructure and technology. Today, the Border Patrol is better
staffed than at any time in its history-nearly doubling in personnel
since 2004 to more than 20,000 today. ICE has a quarter of all its
personnel in the Southwest border region, also the most ever. There is
more fencing and other infrastructure than ever before. And more
technology, improving the ability to detect illegal movements at all
times of day and night.

We have engaged in high levels of cooperation with Mexico to crack
down on smuggling. And we have provided more funding than ever before
to local law enforcement in border communities to deal with
border-related crime.

As a result, the numbers are clearly moving in the right direction:
Last year, illegal crossings along the Southwest border were down 23%,
to a fraction of their all-time high. Seizures of contraband rose
significantly across the board in 2009-illegal bulk cash, illegal
weapons and illegal drugs. By all measurable standards, crime in U.S.
border towns has remained flat for most of the last decade.

At the same time, this administration knows that more can be done.
That is why the president authorized the deployment of up to 1,200
National Guard troops to support federal law enforcement on the
border. He has also asked Congress for $600 million in supplemental
funding, which reflects the administration's understanding that the
assets we have must be a permanent part of a long-term, systematic
effort to deny, disrupt and defeat the activities of transnational
criminal organizations that smuggle illicit drugs, people, weapons and
bulk cash across our border with Mexico.

Throughout the country, we have made enforcement of immigration laws
smarter and more effective. We have made cracking down on drug cartels
and deporting convicted criminal aliens who threaten public safety a
priority. And we have achieved results.

Programs like Secure Communities, which identifies illegal immigrants
already in state and local jails who have committed crimes have been
expanded. Last year, we deported a record number of felons who were in
the country illegally.

ICE investigates and prosecutes employers who have a history of
knowingly employing an illegal work force. Instead of focusing on
high-profile worksite enforcement actions, or "raids," this
administration has already audited more companies to check their
compliance with federal law than the last administration did during
its entire time in office. To help employers comply with the law, the
administration continues to improve and expand the E-Verify program, a
web-based system that allows employers to verify the employment
eligibility of new hires.

In all, more is being done-and more results are being achieved-to
secure the border and enforce the law than ever before. This is
important work that we will continue-throughout the nation and in
Arizona-as we remain committed to actively working with members of
Congress from both parties to make necessary reforms to our
immigration laws.

Meanwhile, this administration remains committed to enforcing the laws
we have in the smartest and most effective way possible. The progress
we've already made shows why it's so critical to continue pushing forward.

Mr. Bersin is the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Mr. Morton is director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.