by Leslie Wollack

Last week, President Bush signed legislation funding federal homeland security programs that included reform of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, funding for federal emergency assistance and homeland security grants to local governments, port security provisions, and $1.2 billion for 700 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border to reduce the flow of illegal immigration.

Despite some unsuccessful efforts from the House of Representatives to attach immigration enforcement provisions to the legislation, Congress left without adopting comprehensive immigration reform that would include a path to citizenship.

At the signing ceremony for HR 5441, the FY07 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill, the President urged Congress to adopt comprehensive immigration reform, noting that enforcement alone would not stop illegal immigration.

?The funds that Congress has appropriated are critical for our efforts to secure this border and enforce our laws, yet we must also recognize that enforcement alone is not going to work,? the President said.

As cities across the nation are finding, the lack of a comprehensive national policy leaves millions of illegal immigrants with no path to legal status and cities with no national guidance in handling the challenges faced by a rapid influx of new residents.

The NLC Board of Directors has endorsed a comprehensive approach to immigration reform and continues to urge Congress to adopt a national immigration policy and not force each community to duplicate the federal role.

Details: To see funding levels for specific homeland security grant programs, visit www.nlc.org and click on ?Grassroots Action Center? under the ?Advocating for Cities? tab.