Veteran U.S. border patrol agent Mark P. Hall will talk to the Eastside Republican Club Tuesday, Feb. 19, at the War Memorial. 

Hall is past president of the Detroit National Border Patrol Council and has testified before committees of both the U.S. Senate and House on such issues as illegal immigration, terrorism, alien and drug smuggling at the U.S./Canadian border.

“We read daily about the crisis at our southwestern border, but as residents of communities bordering Canada, we’ll be interested to learn about some of the challenges in our own backyard,” said ERC chairman Dave Schumacher in a statement.

Schumacher said the audience would also hear from Pontiac native Gina Barr, a longtime GOP activist and former RNC staffer campaigning for leadership of the Michigan Republican Party.

“The Forum is open to the public at no charge, so we invite anyone interested in border security and current events,” Schumacher added.

Forum doors open at 7 p.m. for coffee and networking in advance of the meeting.

Hall served as a Border Patrol agent supervisor before retiring last year after 33 years of service.

He is currently on assignment with the Border Patrol to conduct recruiting, public information, and liaison with other law enforcement partners.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the largest federal law enforcement agency of the Department of Homeland Security, and is the country's primary border control organization with more than 45,600 sworn federal agents and officers.

CBP is charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs and immigration regulations.

The Eastside Republican Club Forum is normally held on the third Tuesday of the month from September through May. Admission is free and the public is always welcome. Stay up-to-date and "like" the ERC on Facebook.