SAN DIEGO -- The U.S. Border Patrol believes immigration has slowed down due to various reasons such as the addition of 600 new agents, additional fencing and new technology.

However, there are other factors at play as a deadline by the new Homeland Security director approaches.

The area between San Ysidro and Otay Mesa used to be a no man's land. Border Patrol agents could hardly keep up with the flow of undocumented immigrants.

But that has all changed.

"With the extra agents in the field, the added infrastructure and technology that's allowed our agents to do more operations," said Jerry Conlin of the U.S. Border Patrol.

From Oct. 1, 2007 to Jan. 31, 2008, the San Diego Sector recorded 39, 614 apprehensions. In comparison, from Oct. 1, 2008 to Jan. 31, 2009, there were 34,791 apprehensions.

Comparing figures for the same time, year-to-year, some 5,000 less people were apprehended at the border -- a decrease of 14 percent.

"Undocumented migrants are not crossing in the way they were crossing several years ago," said Christian Ramirez with the American Friends Service Committee, an immigrant rights group.

Ramirez said while the numbers are lower, the desperation his higher.

More miles of fence have been added, pushing migrants east to cross through the desert or in the dead of night on the ocean in small fishing boats.

"What we're seeing now is folks from deeper south coming across and who are desperately trying to find a job escaping an already desperate situation and entering into a much more horrendous situation facing the reality that there are no jobs," said Ramirez.

From San Diego to Texas, the Bush administration authorized 700 miles of new fencing, but at roughly $7 million per mile to build.

"It has done nothing to prevent folks from coming across the U.S.-Mexico border, and it's just added a whole lot of politics to an already controversial issue," said Ramirez.

Several in Congress are also questioning whether the cost is worth it.

The Border Patrol said it is a key component.

"It's about utilizing the right combination of agents, technology and infrastructure. Without the three together we could be spinning our wheels," said Conlin.

New Homeland Security director Janet Napolitano ordered an audit of all the different policies at play along the border to see what's working and what isn't.

The results are expected on Feb. 20.
Copyright 2009 by 10News.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Comments

http://www.10news.com/news/18726827/detail.html