12:06 November 4th, 2009
Crossing the border loses some of its allure

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Posted by: Nick Carey
Tags: Uncategorized, border patrol, calexico, california, El Centro, immigration, Mexico, recession


CALEXICO, California - The American Dream’s promise of prosperity for hard work has long drawn illegal immigrants, but that pull appears to have faded during the long, deep U.S. recession.

The number of people apprehended while attempting to illegally cross the U.S. border from Mexico fell to 800,000 in 2008, down more than half from an all-time high of 1.8 million in 2000.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, part of the Department of Homeland Security, attributes the decline to increased manpower, surveillance cameras, sensors and fences along the 2,000 mile border the country shares with Mexico.

“It’s a question of deterrence,â€