# Security First Act: What This Bill Actually Does

This bill focuses on funding and strengthening border security operations, particularly along the U.S.-Mexico border. The main piece is something called Operation Stonegarden, which is a grant program that helps state and local law enforcement agencies work with federal border security efforts. The bill authorizes $180 million per year from 2024 through 2027 for this program, plus at least $60 million annually specifically for buying technology and equipment like drones, sensors, and communications gear.

The bill creates a special fund to help pay for these border security efforts. Here's how it works: when U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seize cash or other monetary instruments (like traveler's checks or bearer bonds) from people crossing the border illegally, that money gets transferred into a dedicated "Operation Stonegarden Trust Fund" instead of going into the general Treasury. This seized money then automatically becomes available to fund border security operations without requiring Congress to approve it each time. This is significant because it means border security funding becomes somewhat automatic based on how much money agents seize at the border.

Beyond funding, the bill requires several reports and analyses. The Department of Homeland Security must examine its hiring practices from 2018 to 2021 and make recommendations for improving workforce capacity. The bill also asks the State Department to evaluate whether major Mexican drug cartels—including the Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and others—should be officially designated as foreign terrorist organizations. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security must conduct a comprehensive analysis of what technology and equipment gaps exist along the Southwest border, examining everything from surveillance systems and drones to tunnel detection technology and communications equipment, then provide updates every two years on how they're addressing these gaps.

Security First Act

Gonzales, Tony

Security First Act This bill reauthorizes the Operation Stonegarden program from FY2024 through FY2027 and addresses other border security issues. (Operation Stonegarden provides grants to enhance the border security capabilities of state, local, and tribal governments.) From FY2024 through FY2027, the money from unreported monetary instruments seized from individuals crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and transferred into the Department of the Treasury general fund shall be made available without further appropriation to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to fund Operation Stonegarden. DHS must report to Congress on (1) DHS hiring practices from 2018 to 2021, and (2) whether certain Mexican drug cartels meet the criteria to be designated as foreign terrorist organizations. DHS must also periodically report to Congress about the technology needed to secure the U.S.-Mexico land border.