For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced an additional $30 million in Operation Stonegarden grants to support security initiatives along the Southwest border—funds that will enhance the Department’s capabilities to coordinate with state, local and tribal law enforcement in order to effectively deter violence, enforce immigration laws and combat illegal trafficking.
“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 Secretary 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.
Secretary 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.
The additional funding will be used for law enforcement personnel, overtime, travel and other related costs in order to further increase the law enforcement presence along the Southwest border. This risk-based allocation of resources complements ongoing DHS efforts—including new agreements between DHS and the Department of Justice to combat illegal arms and drug trafficking, unprecedented coordination between the U.S. government and Mexico, and smart, effective immigration enforcement.
For more information, visit www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/25109.
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