Over 500,000 Urge President Bush to Secure Borders 

Petition Responds to State of Emergency in Two Border States

(WASHINGTON, DC) – As the Governors of New Mexico and Arizona declare states of emergency on their states’ borders with Mexico, Americans are showing their support by signing a petition urging President Bush to secure our borders immediately. 

As of August 18, 2005, the on-line petition - at www.ReformUS.org - has over 500,000 signers. Its sponsor, NumbersUSA, is seeking one million signers in hopes of impressing the President on the need for action.

"I hope every American will hear or see the address of ‘www.ReformUS.org’ and be given the chance to decide to join the masses of other citizens asking the Administration for immediate protection on our Borders," said Roy Beck, Executive Director of NumbersUSA. "This petition gives the American people a single place to create a voice big enough that it might at last be heard in Washington. This is a voice demanding a return to the rule of law and the ability of American communities to provide environmental, labor, health and safety protections for their citizens."

Governors Bill Richardson (D-NM) and Janet Napolitano (D-AZ) have declared states of emergency along the New Mexico and Arizona borders with Mexico, releasing funds to border counties to help local law enforcement combat illegal immigration crises in each state. The Governors have cited a failure of the federal government to secure its borders as the reason for the state of emergency.

"These dramatic actions by governors highlight the need for immediate and decisive action by the President and Administration to fulfill their Constitutional responsibilities to protect states from invasion," Beck said. "These governors have clearly seen the adverse affects of policies at the state level that invite illegal aliens to settle in their states and protect them from disruption and removal. Now that they have recognized the dire conditions at our borders, they also need to act by removing protections for their illegal residents."

The full text of the petition to President Bush follows:

Mr. President, Please Secure Our Borders Immediately

It has been nearly four years since the 9/11 attacks inside our country by foreign nationals.Yet, tens of thousands of foreign nationals every few weeks continue to be allowed to enter this country illegally through our loosely guarded borders. All of these illegal entrants threaten American citizens in one way or another—either as unfair labor competition, tax burdens, instruments of organized crime including drug running and slavery, or as terrorists.

We can no longer allow such disorder on our borders. One of the clearest responsibilities of the federal government and of the President is to protect this country's citizens from attacks across our borders.

We urge you to direct your officials in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create and institute plans to ensure that foreign nationals who attempt to cross our borders without permission will be (a) detected, (b) apprehended and (c) either removed from this country or detained for appropriate punishment under the law.

While your Administration is implementing long-term sustainable programs to achieve border security, we urge emergency measures that begin to provide the same protection immediately by mobilizing some combination, as necessary, of Border Patrol, other DHS personnel, the military, other federal personnel and technological tools.

• Census Bureau estimate of illegal population