Illegal Immigration: Examining the Border Fence Progress
Jon Kyl


I recently toured the U.S.-Mexico border near Yuma to see firsthand how construction of the border fence is progressing. The fence and vehicle barriers span roughly 120 miles along the border. According to border agents on the scene, the fencing has resulted in a huge reduction in illegal crossings – apprehensions of people illegally crossing the border are down on order of magnitude, from approximately 130,000 apprehensions in 2005 to a projected total of 12,000 for this year!

The amount of detention space also has been significantly increased in the Yuma sector. As a result, now, when someone is apprehended for illegally crossing the border, he or she is prosecuted and detained for up to 30 days before being deported. Those who come across to work can’t afford to spend a month incarcerated; so this policy has been an effective deterrent to more illegal entries.

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Over the past year, the Border Patrol has also accelerated its recruitment, hiring, and training of agents. The Border Patrol has approximately 15,500 agents and is on target to have more than 18,000 by the end of the year, according to testimony from Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at a recent Senate hearing. The force has more than doubled since 2000, and the growth “represents the largest expansion of the Border Patrol in its history, and the force [has grown] without sacrificing the quality of training the Border Patrol Academy prides itself on delivering,â€