Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a legislative hearing on the Federal Lands Amplified Security for the Homeland (FLASH) Act. Subcommittee Chairman Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) issued the following statement in response:

"The Democrats’ border invasion under Joe Biden led to significant environmental damage on federal borderlands, including millions of pounds of trash, illegal campfires, and human waste. Today, the Federal Lands Subcommittee is ensuring this never happens again. Representative Ciscomani’s legislation prevents further environmental harm from illegal immigration, increases penalties for those who pollute these areas, and expands Border Patrol’s accessibility in wilderness areas."

Background

H.R. 1820, the FLASH Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), provides comprehensive solutions to complement the Trump administration’s executive actions and ensure that federal border lands are protected from the national security, environmental and humanitarian crises resulting from illegal immigration.

The FLASH Act includes provisions to:

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

House Committee on Natural Resources members saw the impacts of illegal immigration on our federal lands firsthand when they visited the border in February 2024 and conducted a field hearing in Sierra Vista, Ariz., in Ciscomani’s congressional district.

Today’s hearing included testimony from Border Patrol and local law enforcement officials who have firsthand experience battling the border crisis.