Since all of the migration numbers are down, it seems that the point of the
border patrol’s new strategy is about how to maintain its budget after the
huge post-911 buildup. There are areas of the border now where very little
illegal crossing is taking place. If Border Patrol becomes officially part
of the national security apparatus, then it becomes easier to grow the
budget. I got an email from a well-informed friend: “right now they (the
border patrol) are in the position of the US military after the collapse of
the Soviet Union and before 9/11, a period when the generals and admirals
tried to get into the drug war business.” That recent story about the drug
war buildup in Honduras offers a clue… The fact is that the
anti-immigrant forces on the ground and their political allies (Brewer,
Dever, Babeu, Arpaio and many more in other places around the country) have
drummed up a lot of fear and loathing and yet most of the violence on the
US side of the border has come from the fringe anti-immigrant forces. Note
the multiple murderers J.T. Ready and Shawna Forde. Also consider the high
death toll of immigrants in border patrol chases that end up in highway
rollovers and other terrible accidents. And at least 2 recent cases of
Mexicans killed in fatal attacks by border patrol agents:

Jan Brewer, other Arizona Officials weigh wider impact of New Border Strategy

Latino Community Remains Silent on Anastasio Hernandez Rojas

Dead Mexican teen’s family to pursue suit against Border Patrol agent