California Governor Schwarzenegger Calls for Extension of Operation Jump Start

02/01/2008 -- Aiming to build on the success of the partnership between the U.S. Border Patrol and the California National Guard, California Governor Schwarzenegger urged President George W. Bush to continue Operation Jump Start. The Governor requested, in the following letter, that the President maintain full federal funding until the mission is complete, so the shared goal of a strong and secure border can be realized. The combined efforts of the Border Patrol and the California National Guard have proven successful in reducing illegal border crossings and limiting the influx of narcotics and human trafficking.

In June 2006, the Governor issued General Order Number 2006-01 directing the California National Guard to temporarily support federal efforts to secure the US-Mexico border. Operation Jump Start is scheduled to end in July 2008, but the operational objective is only half complete: fewer than 3,000 of 6,000 new Border Patrol agents have been added to the force.

Below is the full text of the letter:

January 30, 2008

The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

For the past 18 months, California has supported the Department of Homeland Security's Operation Jump Start, a critical component of your national strategy to secure America's borders. I applaud your leadership on this essential federal responsibility. However, I also strongly urge you to extend Operation Jump Start with full federal funding until the mission is complete, so that our shared goal of a strong and secure border can be realized.

The partnership between the U.S. Border Patrol and the National Guard has seen notable successes at the southwest border. In its supporting role, the National Guard has been instrumental in assisting the U.S. Border Patrol in the seizure of more than 250,000 pounds of narcotics, the apprehension of 124,000 undocumented immigrants and the training of 2,900 new agents since the launch of Operation Jump Start. The California National Guard, in particular, has constructed and maintained tactical border infrastructure, provided aviation observation and conducted intelligence analysis. The Guard's presence has returned Border Patrol agents to the border, allowing them to perform their law enforcement duties.

These combined efforts have proven to have tremendous success in reducing illegal border crossings and limiting the influx of narcotics and human trafficking. Most importantly, this increased presence on the border acts as a critical deterrent to the entry of terrorists. In light of these successes and the strong partnership forged between the U.S. Border Patrol and the California National Guard, we cannot afford to jeopardize the safety and security of our fellow Americans by removing personnel prematurely.

Operation Jump Start is scheduled to end in July 2008, but the operational objective is only half complete: fewer than 3,000 of 6,000 new Border Patrol agents have been added to the force. In addition, as Secretary Chertoff has acknowledged, the goal of recruiting, training and positioning 3,000 additional federal agents along the southwest border will take at least until the end of calendar year 2008. With full federal funding on Title 32 status, I will continue to offer the support of the California National Guard to maintain security at the border to ensure a smooth transition until these new federal agents have adequate operational control.

I commend the efforts of your administration in working to improve border security by nearly doubling the size of the U.S. Border Patrol since you took office, and I look forward to working with you to build on the successes of this partnership until the goals of Operation Jump Start have been achieved.

Sincerely,

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Source: California Governor

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