A bill that would dramatically beef up security along the Southwest border with redeployed military equipment from Afghanistan has sparked a backlash among business leaders in South Texas who say that such a move would undermine the border economy.

“Right now, our legislators are talking about sending war machinery down to the border,” said Keith Patridge, president of the McAllen Economic Development Corp. “What this is telling you is our government thinks it’s so dangerous we have to bring military equipment and soldiers to secure the border.”

Patridge and others in the business community bristled last month when U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, who authored the Secure Our Borders First Act, led a congressional delegation in a whirlwind tour of the southern border, declaring the Rio Grande Valley its most unprotected stretch.

The situation boiled over during a private dinner with local business leaders, irked by the strident tone of the bill that casts a pall over efforts to lure prospective businesses or even Winter Texans who retire to the region.

Julian Alvarez, president and CEO of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, the regional chamber of commerce, asked in jest if any among the congressional delegation feared being so near the border, before pressing on them the importance of trade with Mexico.

The border security bill would deploy an arsenal of drones and ground sensors and add miles of fencing to the border. It would also require the Department of Homeland Security to gain operational control of the entire border within five years, which it defines as stopping all illegal entries into the country. And if the agency should fail, some officials would face pay cuts and travel restrictions.

Democrats were quick to criticize the bill, but the stiffest opposition has come from the most conservative members of the House, who argue the bill is not strict enough and does nothing to take on President Barack Obama’s immigration plan.

In November, Obama announced a sweeping executive action on immigration that would shield up to 5 million unauthorized immigrants from deportation, including those who arrived in the country as children and their parents.

While Washington grapples with border security and immigration reform, business leaders along the border look to shift the political narrative to the bustling trade and vibrant communities that populate the region.

“When we think about the border, we're not thinking about security, security, security. We're actually looking for the opportunities,” said U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, who said he would be working on two border bills that focus on the economy and infrastructure.

According to a report released Tuesday by the Mexico Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, called the U.S.-Mexico Border Economy in Transition, a healthy prescription for the border should include cross-border urban planning and development, and greater collaboration between regional universities and the private sector.

“Instead of seeing ourselves as divided, Brownsville and Matamoros are constantly moving together toward what’s most valuable to us, and that’s a symbiotic and diversified economy,” said Gilbert Salinas, executive vice president of the Brownsville Economic Development Council, “and we’re working harder than anyone else to get there.”

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anelsen@express-news.net  Twitter: @amnelsen