DHS changes plans on miles and manpower
Sunday, September 27, 2009
By Carl Braun
Examiner.com
Mexican military guards a crime scene along the border
(AP)
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Whether from public pressure or normal operational adjustments, the Department of Homeland Security has changed its plans to move agents from the southern to the northern border and to halt the miles of fence constructed in 2010.Following an article here on September 9 entitled: DHS plans no new border fence in 2010. Agents to be redeployed to northern border, DHS came out with two separate news releases stating that the plans, first listed in the agency’s 2008-2010 annual report, have been adjusted.
In that document the agency reported that there would be no increase in the 815 miles of border under “effective operational control” in FY 2009. That number has since been adjusted and DHS plans to have 894 miles protected, an increase of 79 miles, in FY 2010. In total the department is responsible for some 8,607 miles of border and border coastline meaning that 10.3% of the nations borders will be protected. An astonishingly low number.
That same report also indicated that several hundred agents, later listed at 394 by Border Patrol Director of Media Relations Lloyd Easterling, would be transferred from the southern border to the northern frontier with Canada.
But Matt Chandler, acting deputy press secretary for DHS said that number is wrong and does not reflect the latest information. The number of agents on the Southwest border — 17,415 currently — will not decrease even as the agency continues to add agents to the northern border, Chandler said. In contrast there are 1,881 agents on the northern border, a number, which they hope will increase to 2,212 next year. The Canadian line is the largest unprotected border in the world.
Discrepancies aside, that is good news on both accounts as the 1,969 miles along Mexico is the most frequently crossed international border on the planet with 250 million people (legally) exchanging sides each year. About 750,000 illegal border crossers are arrested annually attempting to enter the US along the southern border though the northern frontier is becoming a location of choice. More and more affluent Mexican illegal border crossers are flying to Canada and simply walking across the unprotected divide. It costs less than hiring a “coyote”, reportedly at about $3500 today, and the risks are markedly less.
Until the entire 8,000 plus miles are under “effective operational control” we as a nation and a people are in danger. Unfortunately "political will" plays a big role in our safety and politicians are largely unwilling to do what’s necessary to secure our country. They cry poverty yet somehow can find $2 BB to fund a George Soros oil drilling expedition in Brazil. Maybe it is time we got our entire country “under effective operational control.” November 2010 is right around the corner.
Carl Braun is an analyst for the Homeland Security Policy Institute Group and he's logged 5,000-plus hours on the border. He has written several books including his most recent on Border Insecurity, “Above All Else”
. Contact Carl at Carl.Braun@BPAUX.org.
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