Arrests of illegal border crossings decline

By Brandi Grissom / Austin Bureau

Article Launched: 12/05/2007 12:00:00 AM MST

SAN ANTONIO -- U.S. Border Patrol agents this year apprehended 34.5 percent fewer undocumented border crossers in Texas and 38 percent fewer in New Mexico than in the previous year, officials said Tuesday.

The reason for that drop, Del Rio Border Patrol sector Chief Randy Hill said, is that the agency is focused on deterring immigrants from crossing in the first place. More Border Patrol agents, federal efforts to prosecute those who cross illegally and state border security operations have helped, he said.

"The more people I put right on that river, the better deterrent operation I have," Hill said after giving a speech to about 3,000 law enforcement officers and emergency responders from across the state gathered in San Antonio for the Texas Homeland Security Conference.

"It's just a combination of resources," said Doug Mosier, spokesman for the El Paso Border Patrol sector, which includes all of New Mexico and the two westernmost Texas counties.

The nation had 876,704 apprehensions in 2007, a 1.5 percent drop, according to a Border Patrol video Hill presented.

Hill said a primary reason for the decrease in Texas was Operation Streamline, a Border Patrol effort to take all those caught illegally crossing the border to court within 48 hours instead of releasing them into Mexico.