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Your Help Is Needed!
One of the gravest threats facing America today is the lack of security and enforcement along the U.S./Mexico border and the consequences of this lack of security have yielded an unparalleled invasion of drug cartels, violent gangs, an estimated 20 million illegal aliens, and even terrorists!
Because of the Federal Government's failure to stop this invasion, the State of Arizona signed into law Senate Bill 1406. Part of this important legislation established this website for the purpose of raising funds through donations from citizens, businesses, corporations and anyone from across the country in an effort to finance and finish building our border fence.
The bill also created the Joint Border Security Advisory Committee for oversight and accountability of these funds (100% of the funds raised will be held in a trust fund account in the Arizona State Treasurer's Office). Additionally, in an effort to contain costs, inmate labor will be utilized in the construction of the border fence project.
As of the effective date of this bill, July 20, 2011, only approximately 685 miles of the nearly 2,000 mile long border between the United States and Mexico is "fenced." The vast majority of this existing "fence" however, consists of barbed-wire, vehicle barriers, and inadequate materials that have minimal effectiveness in stopping illegal crossings. The approximately 1,315 remaining miles of the border currently have no fencing at all.
Remember, it is the constitutional duty of the Federal Government to protect 'We the People of the United States', but what happens when the government does not do its job? When you read the information below, decide for yourself if you feel truly protected.
Do You Feel Safe?

'The Secure Fence Act' passed by Congress in 2006 defined operational control of the border as: prevention of all unlawful entries into the United States, including entries by terrorists, other unlawful aliens, instruments of terrorism, narcotics, and other contraband. Today, estimates show that only approximately 10-15% of the border is under operational control and we currently have no way of tracking how many illegal aliens are entering the United States every day!
In the Tucson sector of Arizona alone, approximately 215,000-250,000 illegal aliens were apprehended by Border Patrol in 2010; however, estimates show that for every one person apprehended, approximately five go free, meaning there are likely over 1,000,000 illegal aliens entering through the Tucson Sector alone each year!
In 2010, the Federal Government's response to the overwhelming illegal invasion was to erect signs throughout Arizona cautioning people to avoid entering certain areas of the state because of the high level of drug and human smuggling activity. Is putting up warning signs the best our government can do to protect us?
The Drugs, Gangs, and Human Smuggling Epidemic

There have been over 35,000 deaths and murders along the U.S./Mexico border since 2006 largely due to the vicious drug cartels and gangs that rule in Mexico. Many of the drug cartels are comprised of paramilitary forces with advanced and high power weaponry, and they take their multi-billion dollar per year industry deadly serious.
According to the 2010 U.S. Department of Justice National Drug Threat Assessment, Southwest Border Area Marijuana seizures totaled 1,489,673 kilograms or approximately 3.3 million pounds in 2009. Remember, this is only what was apprehended, not the total amount that entered the U.S. Additionally, the Department of State's International Narcotics Control Strategy Report indicates that as much as 90% of the cocaine entering the United States transits through Mexico. Therefore, to finally win the 'War on Drugs', securing the border is the most important step in doing so.
Phoenix, Arizona has been infamously deemed the 'Kidnapping Capital' of the United States and second in the world only to Mexico City. The City of Phoenix Kidnapping Review Panel in 2011 determined there were 668 incidents of kidnapping in one year alone, the highest number in the nation. Kidnappings are largely due to human smuggling rings that operate across the southern border. Even more startling was a federal General Accounting Office statistic that law enforcement's net catches only about 6.5 percent of the criminal activity coming across the border.
113 Border Patrol officers have been killed in the line of duty according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Financial Impact
Estimates show that the over $100 billion was spent on services for illegal aliens in the United States in 2010. In Arizona alone, over $2.7 billion was spent from 2009-2010 on free services for illegal aliens on healthcare, education, and imprisonment costs alone! Is this an acceptable use of the American taxpayer's hard earned money?
Environmental Impact

Several officials and media outlets have reported that many of the forest fires that have devastated Arizona and the southwest were caused by illegal aliens. In a recent article in 'The Washington Times', the reporter stated:
U.S. Border Patrol agents…are being targeted by illegal aliens, who are using intentionally set fires to burn agents out of observation posts and patrol routes.
Armed smugglers of aliens and drugs have walked through the middle of active firefighting operations, the authorities said.
Blazes... have been set...near the San Luis, Ariz., port of entry as the result of Molotov cocktails — one of which barely missed a Border Patrol agent.
Additionally, because of the millions of illegal aliens and smugglers that enter through the unsecured border, once pristine areas of the Arizonan desert have been decimated beyond recognition from waste, trash, and litter.
Terrorist Threat
According to an investigation by the House Committee on Homeland Security, intelligence officials have determined members of the terrorist group Hezbollah have already infiltrated the U.S. by crossing at the southern border. Border Patrol agents and immigration officials have recovered items along the U.S./Mexico border including Iranian currency as well as military-style patches on clothing near the border—one patch contained the word "martyr" in Arabic and another depicted a plane appearing to fly into skyscrapers.
In 2011, a book (published in Iran) celebrating suicide bombers was found in the Arizonan desert just north of the U.S./Mexico border. The book, 'In Memories of our Martyrs', was spotted by a U.S. Border Patrol agent out of the Casa Grande substation who was patrolling a route known for illegal immigrants and drug smuggling.
In 2009, according to Homeland Security documents, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officials detained 45,279 illegal aliens classified as OTM (Other Than Mexican), many of whom were from illegal immigrants from countries with active Al Qaeda cells or Taliban activity Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Pakistan.
Additionally, FBI Director Robert Mueller testified before the House Appropriations Committee stating that these OTM's; "are individuals from countries with known Al Qaeda connections who are changing their Islamic surnames to Hispanic-sounding names and obtaining false Hispanic identities, learning to speak Spanish and pretending to be Hispanic."
These few statistics represent only a fraction of the problems we face because of the lack of a secure border. They also illustrate that, in reality, the border is not safe, nor secure, nor under control.
There are Things That Can Be Done To Fix This Problem!

In an effort to curb the illegal invasion in Yuma, Arizona, President G.W. Bush directed the National Guard lead an effort to secure this area resulting in a triple-layer fence being constructed. This fence ultimately has proven to be extraordinarily successful in that it has thwarted approximately 95% of all illegal crossings in that area. This proves that fences do in fact work and that the border can be secured, we simply need the political will to do so.
Another example of a fence that works is the 18 foot high steel beam barrier installed in parts of Arizona. This fence is virtually impenetrable and is a great example of what also can work. The problem is that only approximately 16 miles of this fence is built along the nearly 400 mile-long Arizona border! However, with your help, we can reach our goal of raising enough funds so that a project like this can be completed.
It is because of examples like this that your contribution to the 'Build the Border Fence' project is vital for the security of our great nation. Additionally, as a way of saying thank you for supporting this great cause, online donors will receive an official numbered certificate from the State of Arizona thanking you for your support.
Ronald Reagan once said, "The simple truth is that we've lost control of our own borders, and no nation can do that and survive." It is at this moment that we need to not only heed President Reagan's warning, but we must also follow John F. Kennedy's command in that we must "… ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." It is at this time in our country's history that you can do your part to help make America safe for future generations. We as a nation can once again show the world the resolve and the can-do spirit of the American people.
Your donation is greatly needed and appreciated. Thank you and may God continue to bless the United States of America!
Sincerely,
Senator Steve Smith - ArizonaAuthor of Senate Bill 1406
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