Border patrol buildup underway, may not stop smugglers
by Nick Taborek
May 25, 2007
WASHINGTON -- While the outcome of the immigration reform debate raging in the Senate remains uncertain, a big increase in border patrol agents is a foregone conclusion.

President Bush’s announced goal of putting 18,000 agents in place by next year has the border patrol’s training center in New Mexico cranking out graduates at a furious pace -- at least double the normal rate. And the Senate has approved an amendment to the immigration bill that would bump the number of agents to 20,000, up from the current level of 13,350.

But some experts and border agents question whether the build-up will be enough to shut down illegal crossings.

In the El Centro sector, where there are about 800 agents on duty, the expansion is under way, with 84 new agents completing the agency’s 18-week training program in New Mexico. Last year, the sector received a total of just 45 new agents.

It’s the fastest hiring U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Kim has seen since he came to the department in 2000.

To drive the hiring blitz, the agency has stepped-up recruitment efforts and taken up a new ad campaign. Aiming to make the border patrol a household name across Middle America, the agency announced it would begin sponsoring a NASCAR racing team this month.

But Kim is cautious about speculating as to whether the increased numbers will lead to an impenetrable border.

“We’re expecting that it will help us, we’ve seen evidence of that,â€