Frontera NorteSur, September 1999

Increasing Border Patrol Effectiveness

A slew of ideas about how to speed up border crossing at the international bridges and about how to reduce car thefts into our neighboring country are currently being proposed. From new and more effective fences to utilizing more advanced technology for monitoring purposes, the Border Patrol continues to pursue methods of monitoring the U.S.-Mexican border that will prove to be the most successful.

Senate Bill 913, sponsored by Brownsville Rep. Rene Oliveira and Sen. Eliot Shapliegh of El Paso, requires the Texas Department of Transportation to establish "one-stop" border inspection facilities at international bridges in El Paso, Brownsville, and Laredo. These "one-stop" inspection facilities are expected to "help promote and expedite commerce along the border." Currently, less than one half of one percent of all commercial trucks coming across the border are inspected. The bill should be successful in the fight against crime and concurrently promote commerce, as more trucks will be inspected.

Other additions that are soon to be installed at the international bridges include automatic license-plate readers. Ideally the system will photograph a vehicle's back and front license plates and send the information to an automatic processing system. This system will then determine if the vehicle in question has been reported stolen and consequently action will be taken more efficiently than the current system allows. The current system consists of manual inspection and entering of plate numbers into the computer system for theft determination.

This new system, funded by U.S. Congress, is estimated to cost between $60,000 and $65,000 for each bridge installation. This system will photograph northbound and southbound vehicles allowing officers to attend to other duties. Despite skepticism from the public about the projected success of the automatic license-plate readers, officials are optimistic about the project. "It would help tremendously, it would help expedite the crossing and it would further reduce auto theft," said El Paso's Mayor Carlos Ramirez.

As the Border Patrol continually implements advancing technology in its fight against international violations, crime rates, health and safety offenses, and smuggling should consequently decrease. The public however remains doubtful of these additions' projected success until favorable results are seen. "It sounds like a good idea, but my car was stolen in the middle of the night, and I didn't report it until seven in the morning," stated Tom Lane, El Pasoan who lives 15 minutes from the border. He points out the system's obvoius vulnerability: Stolen vehicles must be reported immediately for maximum effectiveness.

Increase in Illegal Immigration

According to the Institution of Strategies for the Welfare of Minor Immigrants (TISUEAMM), an organization which monitors the immigration of minors, over 15 thousand minors arrive annually into the northern border. Over 80 percent of these minors are males whose main objective is to reach the neighboring country: the U.S.A.

Because of these numerous immigrations, DIF representatives and director Enrique Burgos have held "Taller Interinstitucional sobre la Unificacion de Estrategias para la Atencion de Menor Migrante" gatherings to discuss the increasingly problematic minor immigration. Hoping to offer a dignified place for in-need minors, Burgos states: "We should implement programs that emphasize a minor's natural place among his/her family."

The main objective of these gatherings is to define and unite ideas to create a logical strategy to better serve minors and decrease frontera immigration.

Fence Proposal Along Santa Teresa

The construction of a five-mile fence along the Santa Teresa port of entry has been proposed for the protection of the U.S.-Mexican border. Residents of Sunland Park, located less than a half-mile from the Mexican border, are skeptical about the effectiveness of said proposed fence.

"They could put up a fence 12 feet high and it won't matter, they'll cut a hole in it or jump it; you can't stop people from being hungry," stated Sunland Park resident Dio Ortiz. Other residents however offer optimistic expectations regarding the project and the Border Patrol's effectiveness. "The fence deters the desire, of course there's always going to be one or two guys trying to cross, but the Border Patrol will stop them," stated resident Daniel Rios.

Despite the varying opinions about the possible construction of this five-mile fence, the Border Patrol's available statistics show that such a fence would be very purposeful at the site. Border Patrol spokesperson Doug Mosier states that about 300 apprehensions are made each day in the West Texas-Southern New Mexico corridor

The Senate has approved $367,000 for this project. A final version of the bill is due in October for presidential signing. Also to be included in this "border barrier" proposal are vertical pillars to block traffic on dirt roads that are utilized by smugglers. "It's challenging terrain. No doubt the more technology and tools you have, the more effective you are going to be. That's the bottom line," Mosier said.

Mass Immigration-Drug Diversion?

As mass border crossings continue to increase, the explanation for their cause is shifting to "diversionary tactic for drug smuggling."

Following the detainment of 258 illegal immigrants ("entrants"), the sixth occurrence of large group immigration, Border Patrol spokesperson Rob Daniels reported indications of narcotic traffickers attempting to smuggle their cargo into this country. "It appears that when these large groups come through, smugglers have attempted to cross drugs through the same area right after," he stated. In addition, agents discovered a 123-pound shipment of marijuana located about ten miles from the illegal entrants' apprehension site.

Since October 1 agents in the Tucson sector, covering most of the Arizona-Mexico border except Yuma, have caught nearly 400,000 illegal entrants in both small and large groups. Based on the simultaneous occurrences of large group illegal entrance and evident attempts of drug trafficking, Border Patrol has become more aware of the possible underlying reasons and dangers surrounding mass immigration.

Green Card Jam

Expiration of green cards, more commonly known as work permits, has recently caused an overflow of worried immigrants to flock to INS offices. Because the majority of the first work permits issued start expiring this month, INS is hoping that volunteers will alleviate the workload ahead.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service assures that those who allow their permits to expire will not be deported. However, these permits are needed by "aliens" in order to work legally in the United States. Also, the INS advises that those individuals whose permits expire soon not leave the country because re-entry could prove either difficult or impossible. There are an estimated 600,000 and 800,000 green card holders nationwide.

Because of the estimated overflow, INS is attempting to pre-register people, helping those who require aide in filling out paperwork, and collectively organize individuals from two INS-accredited agencies in Yuma: Chicanos Por La Causa and American Beginnings.

Source: Las Cruces Sun News, El Diario