New challenges for Bersin on border

By David Shirk
2:00 a.m. April 17, 2009

On Wednesday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced details of her vision of the way ahead for coordinating U.S. border security in the Southwest. Among other measures, Napolitano signaled the appointment of Alan Bersin, former U.S. attorney in San Diego, as border czar.

This is Bersin's second time around as border czar, with some significant differences. When he was first appointed border czar in the mid-1990s, the Clinton administration was focused on resolving a perceived crisis of undocumented immigration. Bersin's latest appointment responds to current fears about drug trafficking and cartel-related violence. This time, instead of working simultaneously as a federal prosecutor, he'll be operating in the upper echelons of the Department of Homeland Security.

The new border czar brings to the position a unique combination of experience and connections. In addition to his new, high-level vantage point at DHS, Bersin brings valuable experience working in the Justice Department, and he has close ties to the State Department.

It was Bersin's connections to the Clintons that first brought him into public service. When Bersin was a Rhodes Scholar in the 1960s and early 1970s, he opted to study at Oxford along with Bill Clinton. Later, Bersin received a law degree from Yale in 1974, where he befriended Hillary Rodham.

In an Obama administration heavily laced with Clintonites, Bersin's formidable political and State Department ties could be critical in creating opportunities at the border, such as pushing forward the presidential permitting process in order to open and manage new ports of entry.

Bersin also brings to the position a strong legal and prosecutorial perspective. He worked as an attorney beginning in the 1970s, and served as U.S. attorney from 1993 to 1998. He understands the need to focus on the criminal element through effective surveillance, investigations and the like.

As a longtime San Diego resident, Bersin also brings a strong understanding of the border region. In an article he published a few years earlier with the University of San Diego law review, Bersin described the border as the “Tercer Paisâ€