Senate Passes Unprecedented Border Security Funds

With the Senate coming back into session today to pass President Obama's broad border security package, let's take a look at what is in the bill.

President Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's Border Security legislation contains:

Additional Funding for Border Personnel ($254 million)

$176 million for 1,000 new Border Patrol agents to form a “strike force” to be deployed at areas most needed
$39 million for Customs and Border Protection (to keep current levels of officers
$29 million for 250 new Customs and Border Protection officers at ports of entry
$10 million for investigators to stop corruption in border patrol and customs and border protection

Additional Funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ($80 million)

$30 million for border interdiction

$50 million for 250 new ICE personnel, including special agents, intelligence analysts, and support personnel
 
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center ($8 million)
 
Federal Judiciary resources for increased caseload ($10 million)
 
Additional Funding For the Department of Justice ($196 million)
 
U.S. Attorneys and other legal expenses along border ($13 million)
U.S Marshals along border ($8 million)
Interagency Crime and Drug Law enforcement along border ($21 million)
Border processing of apprehended drug dealers and human traffickers ($7 million)
FBI along border ($24 million)
DEA along border ($34 million)
ATF along border ($37 million)
Federal Prison System for Immigrant Criminals ($20 million)
Administrative Review and Appeals expediting along border ($2.1 million)
 
Border Funding is Fully Offset By Fees on Companies That Offshore High-Paying American Jobs
 
The bill raises fees on H-1B visas (for temporary skilled workers) for companies who have more than 50 percent of their employees on H-1B visas (this does not affect U.S. tech companies).
 
The bill also raises fees on L visas (given to multi-national transferees) for foreign companies.  The L visa is often used by foreign companies to circumvent the requirements of the H-1B visa.