DHS Increasing Arizona Border Patrols
he Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday it will send more than 500 agents to patrol Arizona’s border with Mexico.
DHS "is determined to gain operational control of our nation’s borders," stated Customs and Border Proection Commissioner Rober Bonner said in a statement.
"Today we are increasing our boots on the ground and assets in the air because in a post 9/11 era, securing our borders is a national security issue," he said.
DHS said it will assign 200 agents to the area right away, with more than 500 agents to be permanently assigned in the next year. It will also add 27 aircraft to help patrol the border, including six helicopters.
The 25% increase in border agents is the second phase of a buildup that began a year ago, DHS said, and is part of an effort to curtail illegal immigration and potential terrorists from entering the United States.
Border crossings generally increase in the spring as the agricultural season begins and more Mexicans seek work in the United States, USA Today said.
Arizona’s border with Mexico is considered vulnerable because of its extensive desert terrain.
Last year, 51% of the 1.1 million illegal immigrants caught crossing the U.S.’s 2,000-mile border with Mexico were caught coming into Arizona, USA Today said.
