Schumer in Syracuse promotes $600 million bill to secure Mexican border

Companies that recruit foreign workers would pay for anti-corruption investigators, equipment and 1,000 border patrol agents.

Lauren Long / The Post-StandardU.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer discusses a $600 million emergency package to improve security along the U.S. border with Mexico Wednesday in front of the Onondaga County Courthouse in Syracuse. On the left is Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh. At right is Patrick Cohan, Port Director of Syracuse with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer stood outside the Onondaga Court House this morning to discuss a $600 million emergency package to address illegal immigration along the Mexican border.

The bill, which was unanimously approved on Tuesday by the House of Representatives, would be spent on investigators to stop border patrol corruption, communication equipment and 1,000 border patrol agents, said Schumer, who is the chairman of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee.

“Everyone knows, our immigration system is broken and it’s in need of fixing,” Schumer said. “There are so many people trying to cross our southern border, coming across the border illegally, that law enforcement can’t possible keep up. When you talk to the leaders of the southern border, they will tell you, they don’t have the manpower or the equipment to get the job done and that is unacceptable.”

The bill will be paid for by a hike in fees to companies that recruit foreign workers using H1B and L visas, Schumer said. These fees would increase to $2,000 per visa application.

“The good news is, this doesn’t cost the taxpayer one nickel” Schumer said. “It’s coming from companies, mainly foreign companies, who basically, in my judgment, abuse the intention of the H1B program.”

These companies include Wipro, Infosys, Tata and Mahindra Satyam. All four companies are headquartered in India.

The bill is expected to receive a final Senate vote later this week. Schumer is confident that it will pass. “Since we’ve already e-mailed all the senators — ‘hotlined’ the bill, as it’s called — we don’t expect anybody to block it,” he said.