Border Patrol Continues to Fight Flux of Illegal Immigrants

July 3, 2003

WASHINGTON — Border agents will voluntarily move from their southwestern border assignments up to the Canadian border to help prevent terrorist weapons, drugs and illegal immigrants from entering the United States, the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection announced Wednesday.

The 375 additional agents will increase the number of those currently watching Canada's borders by more than half, bringing the total to 1,000 permanently-assigned agents. Still, the northern border will be monitored by only one-tenth of the 10,000-strong force.

"We were clearly understaffed on the northern border," said Bureau Commissioner Robert Bonner. "This is an important step in increasing security along our northern border and is necessary given the continuing threat of terrorism."

The move will take place by the end of this year, said spokesman Mario Villarreal.

The decision comes as the Border Patrol backed off plans this week to seal off most of the Arizona-Mexico border with more than 200 miles of wall and 100 stadium lights. Officials say the Border Patrol will introduce a scaled-back version of the plan in October.

The relocation of agents and decision on a physical barrier adds to the strain agents on the southwestern border are experiencing as they try to prevent the flow of illegal immigrants.

But border agents are having some success on one front -- preventing illegal immigrants who successfully get past the border from being smuggled to cities across the country, which would make tracking them down even more difficult.

To prevent further scattering of illegal immigrants, Phoenix's Skyharbor Airport has been infiltrated by the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"The smugglers are increasingly hesitant to use this airport to move their human cargo to places other than Phoenix," said Kate Malapanes, a special agent with ICE, the complement to the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection. Both bureaus emerged from the now defunct Immigration and Naturalization Service.

More agents and a higher profile have delivered significant results in stopping the flow from Skyharbor, but critics consider it "racial profiling."

"Intimidating people, asking people for their documents, scaring people who look like he or she could be an immigrant," said Michele Waslin of the National Council of LaRaza, describing activities by border agents. 

Malapanes acknowledged that illegal immigrants are profiled, but not based on their appearance.

"What we're looking for is behavior patterns that are associated with people being smuggled into the country," she said.

Agents are also filtering into safehouses near the airport, having set up several busts in a matter of days. The latest resulted in the arrest of 17 illegal immigrants all staying in one house.

"The pressure put on the airport puts pressure on the drop houses. Since smugglers can't distribute their smuggled alien loads quickly, they often back up and increase the numbers," said Armando Garcia, a special agent with ICE.

"Our objective is to take the financial benefit out of smuggling," said Kyle Barnette, another special agent. "We try to attack their financial infrastructure."

Immigration officials hope the alternative means of catching illegal immigrants will discourage others from making the trek across the open desert. Already 164 people have died trying to cross the desert this year.

Waslin insists the crackdown will only make things worse.

"I think what we've learned is that immigrants who are desperate to come into this country are willing to find new creative solutions," she said.

Fox News' Trace Gallagher contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,90991,00.html