by Dylan Smith

TucsonSentinel.com

President Barack Obama signed a $600 million border bill Friday morning.

The product of a merry-go-round process between the House and Senate, the Southwest Border Security Bill will put more agents and equipment on the border with Mexico.

The funds will allow the hiring of 1,000 new Border Patrol agents, as well as more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. New communications gear and deployments of surveillance drones are also included in the bill.

Also funded will be Border Patrol forward operating bases, Drug Enforcement agents, teams to halt cross-border gunrunning, and at least 30 additional prosecutors and immigration judges.

“I consider these funds a down payment on long-overdue efforts to secure our border,” Rep. Gabrielle Giffords said in a news release.

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