DHS adds $30 million for border security operations

DHS secretary Janet Napolitano announced an additional $30 million in Operation Stonegarden grants to support security initiatives along the Southwest border — funds which will enhance DHS’s capabilities to coordinate with state, local, and tribal law enforcement in order to effectively deter violence, enforce immigration laws, and combat illegal trafficking, KDBC El Paso reported.

“Operation Stonegarden grants direct critical funding to state, local and tribal law enforcement operations across the country,” said Secretary Napolitano. “I am proud to announce an additional $30 million in funding specifically for the Southwestern states to ensure our first responders are equipped with the resources they need to confront the complex and dynamic challenges that exist along our Southern border.”

These grants, funded through the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama, will be directed to states along the U.S.-Mexico border-Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. These funds supplement the $60 million in Operation Stonegarden grants announced by Napolitano in June. Based on greater risk, heavy cross-border traffic, and border-related threat intelligence, more than 84 percent of fiscal year 2009 Operation Stonegarden funds will go to the Southwest border-up from 59 percent in fiscal year 2008.

Napolitano made the announcement as part of a major speech on Southwest border enforcement at the 2009 Border Security Conference in El Paso, Texas. In the speech, she highlighted Operation Stonegarden’s retooled risk-based allocation formula, which directs more funding to key areas along the Southwest border while allowing local law enforcement greater flexibility to combat border crime.