Westerman, Ciscomani Introduce Legislation Protecting Federal Border Lands from Illegal Immigration

Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) introduced the Federal Lands Amplified Security for the Homeland (FLASH) Act to secure federal border lands and protect public lands from the effects of illegal immigration.

"America's southern border has been ravaged by the effects of Border Czar Kamala Harris's failed policies. Today, we're pushing back against this failing administration and introducing legislation to enhance border security, reduce the trash pile forming along the border and ensure not a single tax dollar is spent housing migrants on federal lands." - House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.)

"For the last three and a half years, border districts, like mine, have suffered the devastating consequences stemming from the crisis at our southern border. My legislation is a commonsense solution that will enhance Border Patrol's ability to do their job, empower states to secure their border, safeguard taxpayer dollars, and protect the environment by addressing the growing trash piles along the southern border."-U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.)

Background

The Biden-Harris administration's ongoing failure to secure America's southern border has created a confluence of security, environmental and humanitarian crises as record numbers of migrants pour across the border daily. Approximately 693 miles, or 35 percent, of the southern border is federal lands. The FLASH Act is a comprehensive package aimed at securing the border and protecting federal border lands from the harmful effects of illegal migration.

The FLASH Act includes provisions to:

• Construct roads on federal lands for increased access and patrols by law enforcement and Border Patrol officers
• Ensure access for law enforcement agencies to federal land along the border
• Allow states to place temporary barriers on federal lands to secure the border
• Direct federal lands managers to develop policies and procedures to reduce the trash buildup caused by illegal immigration
• Mitigate wildfires caused by immigration and restart a Trump administration initiative to manage hazardous fuels along the southern border
• Prohibit the housing of illegal migrants on federal lands
• Eliminate cultivation of illegal cannabis on federal lands

House Committee on Natural Resources members saw this crisis firsthand when they visited part of the Arizona border in Ciscomani's congressional district and conducted a field hearing in February 2024. Unfortunately, since the last time members were there, the situation on the ground has only worsened. Urgent action is needed.

Original Cosponsors: U.S. Reps. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), Mark Green (R-Tenn.), Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.), Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Andy Barr (R-Ky.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.), Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), Vince Fong (R-Calif.), Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Garret Graves (R-La.), Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), Michael Guest (R-Miss.), French Hill (R-Ark.), Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.), David Rouzer (R-N.C.), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.) and Rob Wittman (R-Va.)