US Border Patrol New Strategy to Focus on Weeding Out Corrupt Agents
A new Border Patrol strategy has been announced after the agency has gone eight years without updating tactics. Aside from focusing on intelligence, the new plan will also target corrupt Border Patrol agents.
The last great plan to control immigration over the Mexican border entailed one very giant fence. The idea wasn't a huge hit amongst many who lived along the border, who pointed out that a number of fences were already in place and doing little to control the issue. The new fences, however were projected to have high tech equipment.
The project, under the Bush administration, seemed to be not only expensive, but a disappointing letdown. Some years later, it appears that the immigration problem may be beginning to fix itself. The Pew Hispanic Center reported last month that the immigration wave may have even reversed as immigrant find it more and more challenging to secure labor in the United States.
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"Last year, the Border Patrol made 327,577 apprehensions on the Mexican border, down 80 per cent from more than 1.6 million in 2000. It was the slowest year since 1971," the Associated Press reported.
With less numbers to focus on, the U.S. Border Patrol revealed Tuesday that it would change up its strategy and place a larger focus on intelligence. Officials will attempt to record repeat offenders and try to develop an understanding of why those individuals continue to cross the border.
Instead of turning immigrants back to Mexico without punishment, officials also plan on enforcing stricter punishments.
"The Border Patrol now feels it can begin imposing more serious consequences on almost everyone it catches from Texas' Rio Grande Valley to San Diego," AP News confirmed. "It divides border crossers into seven categories, ranging from first-time offenders to people with criminal records."
While the number of immigrants has dropped, the number of Border Patrol agents has continuously increased. A large influx of new agents has also led to issues of corruption within the force. A new priority will be made of weeding out corrupt agents.
