Obama to Drastically Cut Immigration and Border Security Budgets

by JIM KOURI, CPP February 13, 2013

Besides President Barack Obama's executive actions regarding illegal aliens and U.S. immigration policy, without much notice by the GOP and news organizations, drastic reductions are expected within the Department of Homeland Security's immigration enforcement-related bureaus, said a top protective intelligence and assessment specialist on Monday.

"Required budget reductions for the DHS [directorates] will seriously undo much of the progress made over the past few years to secure our borders" said Dr. Lyle J. Rapacki, a consultant at Behavioral Analysis and Threat Assessment.

Dr. Rapacki claims there also will be a noticeable negative impact on aviation and maritime safety and security as well as an increase in potential infrastructure vulnerability. The budget reductions will also hamper disaster response time, and totally eliminate cyber security infrastructure advances made in the last couple of years, he added.

Over 24,500 jobs associated with Homeland Security, Border Patrol, Customs and Immigration will be lost, said Dr. Rapacki.

More than 3,000 Border Patrol agent positions will be lost, a reduction to below FY 2009 levels which will leave about 17,900 agents, claims Rapacki.

In addition, up to 3,400 Customs and Border Patrol personnel will be cut. Besides a negative impact on national security, this reduction will significantly increase wait times at our nation's ports of entry.

The important Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will lose more than 930 special agents in the next DHS budget. "A reduction of this size will significantly impact efforts to investigate crimes involving terrorism, transnational threats, especially from cartels, and international child pornography," Dr. Rapacki warns.

ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operation will be downsized by more than 800 men and women who are responsible for the deportation of criminal aliens.

"Such significant reductions will result in even poorer removal statistics of criminal aliens from our nation," said former intelligence officer and police detective Mike Snopes.

Dr Rapacki noted:

"[On Jan. 24, 2013] I informed members of the Arizona State Senate Committee on Public Safety and Border Security of the decision made by Obama to remove all radar operating along the southern Border of Arizona which will be fully implemented in March. Likewise, Obama has ordered the downsizing of Border Patrol by 3,200-agents. These two decisions are alarming for obvious reasons leaving the State of Arizona in potentially a very precarious position with regards to the safety and welfare of the citizens. In my discussion with the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Safety and Border Security, I mentioned that a potential "State of State Emergency" might be unfolding, and deliberate steps might have to be taken by the State of Arizona to protect its' own sovereignty and welfare."