The California Institute for Federal Policy Research

Quick Look: President Bush's FY 2009 Budget: Dept. of Homeland Security -- Feb. 4 2008

The California Institute prepares a quick analysis of the President's budget request on the day it is released.  For the FY 2009 Budget, the budget was released the morning of February 4, 2008.  The following represents an examination of this portion of the budget from a California perspective.  For analysis of other components visit our 2009 Budget page.

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

The FY2009 proposed outlays for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are $44.3 billion, versus the $42.4 billion in FY08, an increase of about 7.6 percent.  The budget authority proposed represents $50.5 billion in funding, an increase of 6.8 percent over the 2008 level, excluding funds provided in emergency supplemental funding.

Immigration

 The Budget documents state that the President's Budget proposes increasing security spending by 10.7 percent Government-wide compared to 2008. The Budget includes nearly $500 million for 2,200 new Border Patrol agents, which would more than double the size of the Border Patrol from approximately 9,000 agents to 20,000 agents since September 11, 2001. It proposes funding 1,000 new detention beds for a total of 33,000 beds in response to the elimination of "catch and release." Additionally, $2 billion in funding over two years is proposed for SBInet to continue to construct a mix of technology, fencing, and other infrastructure to protect the border.

The budget also proposes expanding E-Verify, the Employment Eligibility Verification Program, and requests funding of $100 million. Finally, the Budget proposes changes to the H-2A, H-2B, and H-1B programs to streamline the process for U.S. employers to hire immigrant labor when no Americans are available, while also providing for labor protections for workers.

Citizenship and Immigration Services

 The budget requests $154,540,000. of which $100,000,000 is for the E-Verify program to assist U.S. employers with maintaining a legal workforce; and $50,000,0000 (the same as the FY08 Omnibus) is to support implementation of the REAL ID Act to develop an information sharing and verification capability with States.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

 For salaries and expenses of ICE the FY08 Budget proposes $4.69 billion, roughly the same as last year's request and the FY08 Omnibus. Of that amount, $2,381,401,000 is for detention and removal operations; and $200,000,000 is to improve and modernize efforts to identify aliens convicted of a crime, sentenced to imprisonment, and who may be deportable, and remove them from the United States once they are judged deportable. Funding is also provided to increase the collaboration with State and local law enforcement agencies through an expansion of the 287(g) program.

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

For 2009 the Budget requests $230,670,000 for a FLETC, which, in addition to providing law enforcement training to federal personnel, provides training to State and local law enforcement personnel on a space-available basis.

Customs and Border Protection

The Budget proposes $7.3 billion for Customs and Border Protection, as opposed to the $6.8 billion requested in FY08.

Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure, and Technology

For this portion of the FY 2009 budget, the Administration requests $775 million, as opposed to the $1.225 billion requested in FY08.

United States Visitor (US-VISIT) and Immigrant Status

Indicator The 2009 Budget includes $390 million for US-VISIT, to create an automated entry and exit system; to integrate existing biometric databases; use available data to match alien arrival and departure records; and use biometrics to screen visa applicants and applicants for admission to the United States against law enforcement databases. The FY08 Omnibus appropriated $475 million for the program.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Total funding for FEMA exceeds $10 billion for FY 2009.

Homeland Security Grants

For State and Local Programs, the Budget proposes funding in FY 2009 of $1.9 billion in Budget Authority.  This amount would be a significant reduction from the $3.46 billion spent in FY 2008 and $3.6 billion in FY 2007.

The reduction results primarily from an $800 million cut in the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP).  The shift is significant because it would cut a program (SHSGP) that has yielded California relatively little return over the years, and maintain funding for another program (UASI) of which California's share has been considerably higher.

Also cut, however, would be funds for Port Security grants (nearly halved from $400 million to $210 million) and public transit security grants (more than halved from $400 million to $175 million).

Specific proposed allocation of the funding is as follows: 

• $200,000,000 for the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP), as opposed to the $950 million requested in FY08 and the $1.01 billion estimated in FY08 funding
• $825,000,000 for the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI); the FY08 estimated spending is $820 million
• $175,000,000 for Public Transportation Security Assistance, as opposed to $400 in the FY08 request
• $210,000,000 be for Port Security Grants, versus the $400 million appropriated in the FY08 Omnibus
• $12,000,000 for Over-the-Road Bus Security Assistance
• $8,000,000 for Trucking Industry Security Grants
• $110,000,000 for the National Security and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program to provide competitive grant awards for projects which address national risks and vulnerabilities identified by the Secretary
• $79 million for the State and Local Training Program, versus the $219 million estimated in FY08 funding

Overall, the request for Transportation and Infrastructure funding is $405 million, as opposed to the $878 million estimated for FY08. The FY09 funding request for all programs is $1.9 billion, versus the $3.549 billion estimated in FY08 spending.

Firefighter Assistance Grants

The Budget requests $300 million for firefighter assistance grants, versus the $1.18 billion estimated spending for FY08. However, the reduction is not likely to do California much harm, since it is rurally-focused and the state received just 4% of funds in one recent year.  (FIRE grants are awarded to local fire departments, and no recipient can receive more than $750,000 ... regardless whether it is a small, rural, volunteer fire department or, say, the Los Angeles County Fire Department.  As such, while the program may be housed within the Department of Homeland Security, it operates in a manner that is largely counter to the spirit of protecting the homeland in a targeted fashion.)

Pre-Disaster Mitigation Fund

The Fund would provide $75 million for Pre-Disaster Mitigation grants, substantially less than the $178 million in estimated spending for FY08.

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