Some Honesty, as Opposed to Scare-Mongering Mythology, About Border Security
We are constantly admonished that states like Arizona and Nebraska are constrained to pass strict immigration enforcement legislation because the Federal Government has abandoned or neglected its responsibilities to secure the (Southern) border and to enforce existing immigration laws. In the face of these assertions, facts, figures, and statistics are being reported that directly challenge the stated basis for these restrictionist state laws. There is high anxiety and fear that Mexico’s explosive cartel violence may bleed over the international border line. In fact, FBI and Arizona records show crime is dramatically down statewide and along the border. Murders in Arizona decreased by one-fifth last year; aggravated assaults dropped nearly 9 percent. Much of the violence and death in the border region is the result of actions taken by or in the United States. By walling off the easier border crossing points, those wishing to enter the U.S. without inspection must cross over much more dangerous terrain. According to Border Patrol statistics,at least 1,954 people died trying to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico between 1998 and 2004, with the numbers increasing each year since the mid-90s. The most frequent causes of death have been exposure (heat stroke, dehydration and hypothermia), but some are shot by Border Patrol or National Guard troops, or by the acts related to criminal activities of smugglers or vigilante groups. In June of this year, a U.S. Border Patrol Officer chased a stone throwing teenager back into Mexico and shot across the border into Mexico, killing the youth. Read more…
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