WASHINGTON – Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced the Secure Border Initiative to deal with illegal immigrants crossing the nation's borders.
Chertoff said the way the nation deals with illegal immigrants will change dramatically. He said officials are moving from a policy of "catch and release" to one of "catch and remove."
The effort will include increased border patrol agents, more beds for detained immigrants, streamlined removal and deterrence. The Department of Homeland Security hopes to send illegal immigrants back to their home countries at the same rate they are arriving in the United States.
Chertoff said since the initiative started, more than 3,000 non-Mexican illegal aliens and 300 Honduran nationals have been deported.
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