RICK PERRY

GOVERNOR
Orrrcn oF THE GovrnNon
Posr Orncr ox 12428 Aum, Tnxes 78711,
(512)463-2000 (Volcs)/DttL
7-1-1 ron Rruv Spnlrcgs
Iuly 10,2014
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
Thank you for agreeing to meet with me yesterday to discuss solutions to the serious
humanitarian and national security issues created by our unsecured border. This situation has
been at crisis level for quite some time, but the recent wave of unaccompanied minors shows in
vivid detail the magnitude of the problem.
Although we must address the humanitarian crisis related to unaccompanied minors, any
response by the federal government that does not include providing the resources necessarylo
secrre our border only addresses a symptom, not the true problem. Securing our border will
provide an immediate rduotion in the number of illegal immigrants entering our country, which
is the source of this current crisis.
As I shared with you, by committing the personnel; technology and resources neessary, a secure
border is an attainable goal. It is encouraging to know that you agree philosophically with the
solutions I presented to you for achieving frue border securitr. No state is better versed in ihis
than Texas, andl, along with state and local law enforcement officials and Texas' Congressional
Delegation, are ready and willing to help the federal government meet its responsibility to sec_ure
the brder for the safety and security of all Americans" While I have urged action on many of
these steps for years, every day the border remains unsecured increases the urgeney for your
action on the following items to address this issue in the short-term and provide a strong
foundation for congressional leaders as they pursue more long-term solutions:
r deploy an additional 1,000 National Guard troops to the Texas-Mexico border to
immediately enhance border security operations;
o
direct the Federal Aviation Administration to allow the National Guard to utilize Predator
drones along the Texas-Mexico border for identifying and tracking human and drug
trafficking;
o medically screen all illegal immigrants to ensure their health and the health of our
citizens;
Vrslr wrw.Tp<sOu.rp.corr,r rHe OFFIcTAT
'Wrs
SrE or tt Srerg or Tsxas
o
direct the Centers for Disease Control or another appropriate federal agency outside the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct, in.conjuncti-otr.*ilh the Texas
Deartment of State Health Services, inspections of facilities in which illegal immigrants,
inciuding U{C_s, are being.housed to ensure- accepted international and national
emergency sheltering standards are met; and
o modify or rescind policies that serve as a magnet to encourage illegal immigration,
including:
o DHS catch and release policies by which DHS issues an illegal immigrant an NTA
before an immigration
judge
and releases them, The U.S. Department of Justice
reporls that 33 percent
-of
tTrose released on their own recognizance failed to appear in
FY 2013.
o Deportation
olicies
and procedures that prohibit UACs from countries other than
Meico and Canada frornbeing immediately repatriated back to their go,u{ry o{
origin, After DHS processes tese UACs, they are issued an NTA and delivered to a
sponsor or relative in the United States, regardless of the relative's immigration
status.
Additionally, Mr. President, I cannot stress enough_how important it is for you to visit the border
to witness tire damage that the failure to secure the border is doing.to our country alg10.
demonstrate for all mericans, as well as the governments of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador
and Honduras, your commitment to ending this humanitarian crisis. Your visit would also
provide an ideai opportunity to meet with the Texas Congressional Delegation to discuss
ermanent
solutioiri to ourborder security,issues- Because this issue deserves swift action, I am
vailable to help facilitate this meeting with the delegation'
I am hopeful that our meeting yesterday waq the beginning of a productive dialogue, which will
result in a secure border and, in turn, solve the humanitarian crisis we are experiencing'
The Honorable Barack Obama
July 10, 2014
Page 2
Sincerely,
c
p
Rick erry
Governor
RP:lnp