Canseco files cross-border violence legislation
June 10, 2011
By ALBERTO TOMAS HALPERN
San Antonio and West Texas Congressman Francisco Canseco will hold a press conference today, Wednesday, June 8 at 2:30pm on the steps of the Texas Capitol in Austin to promote a piece of legislation he has filed in the United States House of Representatives.
H.R. 2124, or the Southwest Cross-Border Violence Recognition Act of 2011, seeks to provide a federal and accurate definition of the term “cross-border violence.” The legislation would also require the Department of Homeland Security secretary to regularly report to Congress on incidences of cross-border violence. The bill requires that quantitative data be collected by the Department of Homeland Security and be delivered in a report to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate every 90 days.
U.S. Rep. Quico Canseco (staff photo by ALBERTO TOMAS HALPERN)
The metrics for data collection include reports on crime, vandalism, theft, burglary, apprehensions, accidents, and capital crimes from border sheriffs’ departments as well as state law enforcement agencies. Reports from hospitals in border states and accounts of cross-border violence from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Border Patrol and other Federal agencies will also be included.
The legislation defines cross-border violence as: “Any act of violence carried out by a foreign national, a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States, entity (whether foreign or domestic), or organization (whether foreign or domestic) (including a drug trafficking or human trafficking organization) acting in the interest of or on behalf of a foreign national, foreign organization, or foreign entity that occurs in the United States not further than 100 miles from the United States border.”
The proposed measure goes on to define the term as violence that benefits foreign nationals or American citizens that profit from unlawful activity across the U.S. border working in conjunction with organized crime such as Foreign Drug Trafficking Organizations or Trans-national Criminal Organizations.
Canseco’s bill also focuses on spillover violence, defined as violence beginning in Mexico between criminal organizations or criminal organizations and the Mexican government that carries over into the United States threatening U.S. personnel or interests in either the U.S. or Mexico.
Many Texas border sheriffs, including those from Terrell County, Val Verde County, Zavala County, Culberson County, Wilacy County, Dimmit County and Jeff Davis County, will join Canseco. Also in attendance will be Don Reay, Director of the Texas Border Sheriff’s Coalition.
Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition logo
Said Canseco in a media advisory: “Violence is spilling over the border from Mexico into the United States and...
To read the full article, click here: https://bigbendnow.com/2011/06/canseco-files-cross-border-violence-legislation/By ALBERTO TOMAS HALPERN
San Antonio and West Texas Congressman Francisco Canseco will hold a press conference today, Wednesday, June 8 at 2:30pm on the steps of the Texas Capitol in Austin to promote a piece of legislation he has filed in the United States House of Representatives.
H.R. 2124, or the Southwest Cross-Border Violence Recognition Act of 2011, seeks to provide a federal and accurate definition of the term “cross-border violence.” The legislation would also require the Department of Homeland Security secretary to regularly report to Congress on incidences of cross-border violence. The bill requires that quantitative data be collected by the Department of Homeland Security and be delivered in a report to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate every 90 days.
U.S. Rep. Quico Canseco (staff photo by ALBERTO TOMAS HALPERN)
The metrics for data collection include reports on crime, vandalism, theft, burglary, apprehensions, accidents, and capital crimes from border sheriffs’ departments as well as state law enforcement agencies. Reports from hospitals in border states and accounts of cross-border violence from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Border Patrol and other Federal agencies will also be included.
The legislation defines cross-border violence as: “Any act of violence carried out by a foreign national, a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States, entity (whether foreign or domestic), or organization (whether foreign or domestic) (including a drug trafficking or human trafficking organization) acting in the interest of or on behalf of a foreign national, foreign organization, or foreign entity that occurs in the United States not further than 100 miles from the United States border.”
The proposed measure goes on to define the term as violence that benefits foreign nationals or American citizens that profit from unlawful activity across the U.S. border working in conjunction with organized crime such as Foreign Drug Trafficking Organizations or Trans-national Criminal Organizations.
Canseco’s bill also focuses on spillover violence, defined as violence beginning in Mexico between criminal organizations or criminal organizations and the Mexican government that carries over into the United States threatening U.S. personnel or interests in either the U.S. or Mexico.
Many Texas border sheriffs, including those from Terrell County, Val Verde County, Zavala County, Culberson County, Wilacy County, Dimmit County and Jeff Davis County, will join Canseco. Also in attendance will be Don Reay, Director of the Texas Border Sheriff’s Coalition.
Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition logo
Said Canseco in a media advisory: “Violence is spilling over the border from Mexico into the United States and...
To read the full article, click here: https://bigbendnow.com/2011/06/canseco-files-cross-border-violence-legislation/