Mexico Border Arrests Drop For 2nd Year

Less Activity Along Busiest Stretch Of Arizona Crossings; Economic Conditions Possible Factor

(AP)  Arrests of people entering the United States illegally along the busiest stretch for such crossings fell for the second year in a row, possibly reflecting economic conditions in both the U.S. and Mexico, a Border Patrol spokesman said Friday.

From October 2007 through August, agents in the 260-mile Tucson sector arrested just under 300,000 illegal immigrants. That's 16 percent fewer than the nearly 359,000 caught during the same period last year.

In the 125-mile Yuma sector, fewer than 8,000 illegal immigrants were captured in the same period - down from more than 37,000 last year, for a 78 percent decrease.

"There are a number of different elements for any change, including, of course, our right mix of man power, technology and infrastructure," Tucson sector spokesman Rob Daniels said.

National Guardsmen supplemented the Border Patrol until July. The now-completed two-year mission deployed as many as 6,000 Guardsmen along the entire southwestern border as the patrol launched a hiring program to double its number of agents.

The Guard's presence in a variety of roles allowed the Border Patrol "to be more of a deterrent," Daniels said. "The intent was to prevent the crossings, to prevent the deaths from occurring."

The number of illegal immigrants who died in Tucson sector deserts also dropped by 20 percent, from 193 to 154, from October 2007 through August.

Added Border Patrol agents, fencing and other infrastructure like powerful lighting, observation towers and improved roads all have helped reduce apprehensions by making it tougher to cross into Arizona, Daniels said.

But he added, "Obviously, the economy in both the United States and Mexico is always a factor."

With the economic downturn, fewer jobs have been available for illegal immigrants, particularly in fields such as construction, he said.

And employer sanctions enacted by the Arizona Legislature have dissuaded the hiring of illegal immigrants, Daniels said.

"It's removing the draw, the attraction, and then our enhanced enforcement operations have tried to ... break the smuggling cycle," he said.

Tucson sector Chief Robert Gilbert said in a recent interview that several programs to return prosecuted or apprehended illegal immigrants to Mexico are designed to sever reconnection with the smugglers who brought them across the border.

One program buses prosecuted immigrants to border crossing points far from Arizona; another returns 266 people a day by plane to Mexico City.

The patrol can't track how many people successfully enter the country, Gilbert said, but it does its best to monitor entries, "and what we're seeing is a larger decrease in entries, as best we track it, than we are a decrease in apprehensions, showing a higher level of effectiveness."

[xmanborg]

More Fence, More Fence, More Fence

Less Cheekas !

[sparks224]

Border arrests are down because America is a less desirable place to live, and George W Bush deserves the credit.

[tucano2]

It doesn''t matter if an illegal alien has been in the USA 30 minutes or 30 years. These criminals and terrorists must be hunted down, detained, jailed then deported or executed. They have no business being in OUR country. Anyone, including "law enforcement" failing to actively pursue these criminals are in fact criminals themselves and should be dealt with very harshly.

[tucson23]

lovegetpeace, that''s more than a little paranoid. Besides, hispanics lean Republican as a group--I find it hard to believe that they will "outlaw the Republican Party." By your logic, the female majority in the country today should have long ago forced men into domestic slavery, while they hold the presidency and congress.

[germany77]

onemoretim -

Quit with the use of the term "Native Americans" as applied to Indians only. Anyone born in America (from an American mother, not an illegal, hint-hint!) of any race qualifies as "Native American." Ergo, whites, blacks, Chinese -- anyone meeting the above criteria constitutes a "Native American"!

Enough of the political correctness and get with the program!

PS -- Washington 26, Eagles 17 -- my NFL special pick tomorrow!

[dowjones20k]

LegacyABQ ...

I will stipulate that your position is true .. but I would like to add this little caviot .. as a farmer in the New England area we have a short growing season compared to other areas.

In our experience we hire our field workers through an agency. Sadly the agency is run by folks who seem to prey on these people .... it costs us $12.00 an hour for each contractor .. and we pay this to the agency. We do this in order to avoid the issues of verifying documents and paperwork.

We also employ Jamaicans and offer them housing and transportaion. Many of these employees have been coming up here for decades. We pay them well and they also work very hard. So it is possible to make decent wages in the fields ... you just have to find the right farmers.

Maybe California needs to investigate their own farmers to see what goes on there .... We here the NE certainly do the right thing and pay a living wage to these folks.

Granted it certainly hard work, but we do pay well as long as we can turn a profit and plant again next season.

[bhappy2-2]

"Give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses yearning the breath free, the retched refuse from your teeming shores so we can use them for target practice..."

Posted by onemoretim

That sounds good to me, as long as it will get rid of the ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS.

[bigjj29]

Yeah right! Don''t let the crazys win. Check out PitbullPalin.com for some "Show your Vote".

[legacyabq]

and by way, I dont know why you are paranoid, but last time I checked,
WE ALREADY HAVE A SECURE COUNTRY.
Yu must be a victim of various sorts of propaganda.
If you respond, please respond to the below-post first.

[legacyabq]

What can I say?
No, I''m not an illegal, my family has been here since the late 1600''s. I live now in New Mexico.
first: the immigration problem is a canard, an bogey-man, paper-tiger, etc to excite xenophobic rednecks, such as your self, to get votes.
second: if you really stoppped all imigrants, try to grasp this, food prices would triple, if not more. WHY?? Because 95% of farm labor is immigrant labor, and in california especiall a huge HUGE number are illegal. When the work is done, they go back home with some wages. AND WE GET CHEAP FOOD!
Can U understand modern usa workers WILL NOT WORK 16 hours a day in muddy fields??
No one else can do it!

[legacyabq]

electric fences and land mines??
Are you kidding me mrcrosby??
You ACTUALLY WANT this on your OWN COUNTRY''S border??
Welcome to the future citizen of america!
Who loves what they did in the good ol days in east germany, or cambodia, or red china.
Great thought scum!!
The country I LOVE, that I thought I had, is DYING!
My ancestors never should have left scotland!
400 years for THIS??

[aprilabril]

Quoting Xenpro:

Of course their down. And they''''re leaving in record numbers as well and going back where they came from too. And the poor old Mexican presidente says that it''''s creating a crisis in Mexican cities because they can''''t handle it. It''''s putting a strain on their economy and infrastructure.
Well BOO FRIGGITY HOO.
Taste of your own medicine there, eh, El Presidente?
I''''m glad the economy''''s falling apart if this is what it takes to get these ILLEGAL CRIMINAL FREELOADERS out of my community, taking money from MY family and myself.
Good RIDDANCE~!
Posted by xentpro at 06:15 AM : Oct 04, 2008

THIS IS THE BIGGEST LIE I HAVE HEARD.
TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE, MEXICAN PRESIDENT HASN''T SAID ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
SECOND, THE US IS IN CRISIS, BUT OTHER COUNTRIES AS MEXICO SAW THIS CRISIS COME AND MOVED FROM MAKING BUSINESS WITH THE US TO THE NEXT MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD "CHINA".
YOUR CRISIS IS NOT HAVING AN EFFECT IN MEXICO.

I HOPE YOU REMAIN HAPPY OF BEING IN CRISIS ONCE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS LOSE YOUR JOB AS WELL.
YOUR MENTALITY IS SO ABSURD. YOU MAKE ME FEEL ASHAMED.

[bhappy2-2]

We need to get ALL of these ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS out of OUR COUNTRY. With our economy like it is now, with the citizens having to bail out our financial institutions, we DO NOT NEED more people to try to support with our government funds. We need to do whatever it takes to get these ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS gone, including shooting the ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS on sight.

[gwjackie]

Who are they going to arrest hell they are all over in the US now thanks to George Bush.

[swwils]

Well all the illegal''s are getting the hell out of here before the nukes start flying.There is no work,we are at war,and are going to be for a long time.Obama promises 16 months we are done.The Taliban here this also,so they will hide in their caves homes ,villages wherever.When we split they will march right back into control.What about the lives we lost ,the mammed soldiers,the ones with P.T.S.D.The money we spent ,the cause.We cannot do these people like we did the Vietnamese.They will have control of nuclear warheads.We can''t let this happen.The aliens are heading to the safe zone home.The extremist aren''t mad at Mexico.Only America,this fight will never end,talk is cheap,my bro better not have lost his legs because we are going to pull out immediately.

[slim1h2o]

sorry they are no there to work pal..they are there to leech


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Posted by libluv2spit at 01:16 AM : Oct 04, 2008

Too many beers tonight? There libby?

[chicagoray40]

After America now sees that these illegals were getting special mortgage treatment over us I would expect the shut down the border enemies will **** for at least til their 401 K''s are restored in another decade. Next it''ll be the anti drilling nimrods who will be proven wrong and thick headed.

Sadly we have two illegal loving senators running for president but I''ll take the war hero over the Marxist Income Redistribution Specialist & Community Organizer anyday.

[clew37]

The fact that 14 million Mexicans are already here may give you a clue. When a dam burst, eventually on a trickle leaks out.

[Diamonddavej]

Ok, 16% decrease per year, in 6 years time the traffic will be going the other way!