Border Patrol

Today, just like in the past, border issues are hot debate items in all walks of life. Most people feel strongly, one way or the other, about what should be done to manage a nearly 2000 mile border. Some suggest building a wall, similar to what the Chinese did centuries ago. Some people want to dig a trench and have 24 hour surveillance along the entire line. And some individuals feel we need to deport millions of immigrants and slow the growing population problems.

I don't know the right answer, however, I do know that if the border patrol remains corrupt we don't stand a chance of solving anything. I'm not saying every border patrol officer is corrupt but read the case about Jose Olivas Jr. He accepted payments for assisting illegal border crossings. We must get control of these kinds of actions before we can begin to close the borders. If the people monitoring the borders can't be trusted then we're in big trouble.

The problem is that money kind make people do uncharacteristic things. Many people would have acted the same way as Olivas had they been given the chance. Like David Gutierrez illustrated in Walls and Mirrors, the countries opinion on the immigration question is often split and ever changing. So, if Olivas has no personal reason not to let illegal aliens in and he personally wants money, then the money will always win.

In the Olivas article it mentions that he would inform his crossing customers when a check point was closed. To me this reveals an even greater issue. We don't even employ enough border patrol officers to keep our check points continuously open; and people want a 24 hour sentry system? Overall I need to keep looking into the border crossing issue to learn a bit more about possible solutions. However, I do know that if the border patrol officers can't be properly monitored than there is no reason to expect a properly managed border.

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