IBC Bank Chairman and CEO Dennis E. Nixon Offers Common Sense Solutions for Border Security
January 11 2019 - 1:16PM
Business Wire
Dennis E. Nixon, CEO of International Bank of
Commerce in Laredo and chairman of the board of International
Bancshares Corporation, released the following statement regarding
border security:
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Dennis E. Nixon, CEO of International
Bank of Commerce in Laredo, and chairman of the board of
International Bancshares Corporation (Photo: Business Wire)
“In 2017, I authored a white paper entitled 'Common Sense Border
Security Solutions,' which I have shared with members of Congress,
Trump Administration officials and other leaders in the public and
private sectors across the country. In it, I presented a plan for
addressing border security and immigration that is sensible,
fiscally responsible and that serves our national interests.
“My perspective is that of someone who has lived and worked for
decades only a stone’s throw from the Rio Grande, and who is a
member of organizations such as the U.S.-Mexico CEO Dialogue and
the U.S.-Mexico Economic Council.
“Unfortunately, too many people in Washington would rather make
decisions based on ideology and politics rather than listen to the
folks who are the most knowledgeable and the most affected by these
issues at the local level. This approach promotes poor
decision-making that creates only conflict rather than offering a
sensible resolution.
“One practical solution I recommend is to clean up the Rio
Grande and give Border Patrol greater access and visibility.
Eradicating non-native, invasive vegetation, building all-weather
roads for easier access to the river, and developing a larger
buffer zone between the two countries would make it much harder for
both criminals and immigrants to even attempt illegal entry.
“Having taken these steps, the area could then be managed much
more effectively with technological solutions, such as motion
detectors, cameras and infrared sensors. This approach is a faster,
cheaper and more effective way to patrol and control the river, as
opposed to a far more expensive and intrusive wall.
“A second solution would be to clear the backlog of cases in
immigration court. Once again, there’s a very practical way to
accomplish this: Hire more immigration judges.
“The real problem with border security is not apprehension.
Rather, it is processing the cases through the U.S. legal system.
As immigration enforcement budgets have more than quadrupled over
the past five years, funding and staffing for immigration courts
have lagged far behind. In addition, detention facilities are
costing taxpayers millions of dollars per month.
“This money could be better invested in more post-apprehension
resources, such as additional immigration courts. Border towns
could be staffed with sufficient asylum officers, immigration
judges and consular officers to hear cases and then make final
determinations on-site. This is much more efficient than
warehousing illegal immigrants and asylum seekers.
“Even with these common-sense solutions, the issue of border
security cannot be addressed without addressing the need for
immigration reform. We need an immigration policy that tackles
America’s need for workers.
“The United States requires between 600,000 and 650,000
low-skilled workers every year to keep the economy growing. We
simply do not produce that type of worker in the amount we need.
That deficit along with the rapid decline in birth rates worldwide,
including here in the United States, make it clear that our economy
will suffer due to a lack of human capital without a sensibly
reformed immigration policy.
“To solve the border security problem, we must look at
reasonable and productive solutions that benefit both the United
States and Mexico, our neighbor and third-largest trading partner.
We must develop a border security plan with Mexico that continues
to foster economic development and our good neighbor policies that
have been in place for generations.
“The Trump Administration should speak with people who live and
do business in border communities here in Texas to find practical
solutions for both border security and immigration policy. Doing so
will help build broad support for initiatives that are far more
effective and far less costly than a border wall, and that serve
the long-term interests of the United States.”
Dennis E. Nixon is CEO of International Bank of
Commerce in Laredo, and chairman of the board of International
Bancshares Corporation.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190111005410/en/
Eddie AldreteIBC Bank – International
Affairs210-518-2516eddiealdrete@ibc.com
Marcie HernandezKGBTexas
Communications210-826-8899marcieh@kgbtexas.com
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