DHS chief pressed on immigration and border security

Senate and House lawmakers pressed Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano Tuesday to explain the Obama administration's policies for enforcing border security and immigration laws, indicating areas that Congress will likely grapple with putting together the fiscal 2010 Homeland Security budget.

In separate, back-to-back hearings, lawmakers expressed support for President Obama's request, which would provide the department $42.7 billion in discretionary funding next fiscal year.

But they questioned Napolitano on matters such as funding for border security efforts, the department's priorities for targeting illegal immigrants inside the country and whether federal contractors should be required to verify the legal status of their workers.

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., and ranking member Susan Collins said they believe the department will need more money for border security efforts.

"Critical resources are needed to supplement efforts already underway on our Southwest border to combat drug, gun and cash smuggling by the drug cartels in Mexico," Collins said.

Lieberman and Collins recently succeeded in amending the fiscal 2010 budget resolution to increase by $550 million funding for border protection efforts by the Homeland Security and Justice departments.

Lieberman confirmed Tuesday he will ask Senate appropriators to add at least $500 million to the proposed fiscal 2010 Homeland Security budget for border security.

About $260 million of that funding would go toward hiring and training 1,600 Customs and Border Protection officers and 400 canine teams.

The department's proposed budget only seeks to hire and train 65 CBP officers and 44 new Border Patrol officers.

At a separate hearing, House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman David Price, D-N.C., pressed Napolitano on whether she believes the top priority for Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be finding and deporting illegal immigrants who have committed serious crimes.

Napolitano hedged slightly, saying finding and deporting criminal illegal immigrants is "a high interest" for ICE. She said ICE not only has to go after criminal illegal immigrants but build cases for prosecuting employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers.

"In the world of illegal immigration, ICE has to multitask," Napolitano said.

Price also said lawmakers will have to sort out the pros and cons of two programs to enforce immigration laws. The Secure Communities program uses biometrics, namely fingerprints, to identify illegal immigrants inside federal, state and local jails.

The other effort, known as the 287(g) program, helps train state and local law enforcement officials to enforce immigration laws.

Price expressed more support for the Secure Communities program, saying the 287(g) program is costly and has led to strained relationships between local law enforcement agencies and immigrant communities.

Napolitano said Secure Communities is "working very well," adding that she predicts the department will be growing the program in coming years.

But she said she wants to make agreements under the 287(g) program "more uniform" across the country.

House Appropriations ranking member Jerry Lewis said during the hearing he was concerned that Homeland Security is shifting an emphasis and resources away from arresting undocumented workers and finding fugitive illegal immigrants.

On another front, Napolitano expressed support for implementing a rule that would require most federal contractors to use the E-Verify system to confirm the legal status of their workers.

The rule was supposed to go into effect in January but has been postponed until the summer.

"I'm a big supporter of E-Verify," Napolitano said. The authorization for E-Verify expires at the end of September, but the department's proposed budget seeks to extend the program for three years.

When asked if the program should be permanently extended, Napolitano said: "I leave that for Congress' wisdom. I would like it certainly for more than one year."