When my friends heard I was about to move permanently to Yuma, Arizona, which is very close to the Mexico border, they asked if I was not afraid to live that close to the border. I told them not to worry.
The Border Patrol's Yuma Sector is probably the best controlled portion of the border with Mexico which stretches almost 2000 miles from San Diego, CA to Brownsville, TX touching four states. This sector controls 126 miles of the border. There are several reasons for that: a good fence, sufficient manpower and equipment and prosecution of undocumented immigrants (or aliens or illegals). The prosecution is a major factor. Every alien who is caught in the Yuma Sector is charged and prosecuted. This can mean jail time or, at least, a criminal record which can be detrimental if that person tries to seek legal status. The other major sector in Arizona, Tucson, has a larger area to cover and therefore more persons to process and prosecution is not easily achievable. Most apprehended there are simply sent back across the border only, in many cases, to return within a short time. In the last several years the number of apprehensions of illegals has decreased drastically in the Yuma Sector although confiscations of illegal drugs have increased.
I have great respect for the Border Patrol. After attending the agency's Citizen’s Academy you come away with the realization that, while apprehension is important, the saving of lives is tantamount. Much time is spent searching for those people who are unable to traverse the dry, hot Arizona desert.
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