Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., have introduced a bipartisan bill that would help improve communication and coordination among law enforcement at the southern U.S. border.
In a press release, Blackburn and Cortez Masto note that the recent attack on Israel by Hamas highlights the need for proper border security.
Their legislation is intended to help strengthen security at the U.S.-Mexico border by expanding joint operations hubs to help interagency coordination, by creating centralized hubs for field operations, and to require that the Department of Homeland Security provide Congress with annual updates on the centers' activities and recommendations for actions on the border.
"Hamas' horrific incursion into Israel and subsequent mass murder of innocent Israelis has been a solemn reminder of the critical importance of border security," Blackburn said in a statement. "Amid an unprecedented number of illegal immigrants arriving at the southern border, our Border Patrol agents are completely overwhelmed."
Cortez Masto added: "From local sheriffs to Border Patrol and other federal law enforcement, our officers along the southern border are working every day to keep our communities safe, and we need to make it as easy as possible for them to work together."
She continued: "Establishing more joint operations centers will help us continue to crack down on drug trafficking, human trafficking, and weapons smuggling, and I will continue working with my colleagues to get this legislation signed into law."