McCaul to tour Maine-Canada border, host town hall

U.S. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) will join Mark Morgan, chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, for a full-day tour of Maine’s northern border this week.

After his tour, McCaul will attend a town hall hosted by U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME).

“Understanding the unique threats to and security gaps along the northern border is critical to addressing national security challenges,” McCaul said. “Securing the northern border, like all our borders, must remain a top priority. I look forward to examining first-hand the security measures being implemented at our northernmost perimeter.”

McCaul, Morgan and Poliquin will tour the Houlton Sector Border Patrol headquarters and will participate in a roundtable discussion with local law enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials. The group will also get an extensive tour of the Canadian-Maine border, with a press conference at the Bangor International Airport to follow afterwards.

“Maine shares a 611-mile border with Canada and it’s critical that every inch of it is secure to keep our families, communities and our nation safe — from drug traffickers and those who seek to threaten our homeland,” Poliquin said. “At the same time, it’s important that we balance the need for strong security with the needs of our communities, families and local businesses in northern, western and downeast Maine that go across the border every day for work, for pleasure and to visit loved ones.”