Obama Signs Border Security Bill
VOA News 13 August 2010
U.S. President Barack Obama has signed a $600 million border security bill into law, addressing an issue that will be prominent in mid-term elections later this year.
Mr. Obama signed the bill Friday at the White House.
The measure will pay for 1,000 extra border patrol agents along the southwestern U.S. border with Mexico. It will also provide for the hiring of 250 new Customs and Border Protection officials and 250 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to target drug smuggling.
The bill passed its final hurdles this week, with both the Senate and the House of Representatives holding a rare August session to vote on it.
The measure will also fund two additional unmanned surveillance planes to operate along the border area.
Immigration has been the subject of contentious argument this year, as the southwestern border state of Arizona enacted a new law in April that would require police officers to check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws. A judge has put that provision on hold, along with one requiring immigrants to carry their immigration documents with them at all times.
Opponents say the law will lead to racial profiling by police officers.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
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