Non-profit group claims progress
Last summer, writing in the Arizona Republic, Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano said: "If you look at facts, border is more secure than ever." "Illegal crossings along the southwestern border last year were down 23 percent from the year before and are a fraction of their all-time high," she said.
Actually, the secretary was using the number of apprehensions of illegal aliens as an indicator of the number of illegal crossings – not the actual number of crossings. If we use the number of border apprehensions as a measure of border security, however, the border was much more secure under the Eisenhower administration following Operation Wetback.
For years American Border Patrol has argued that we need an objective measure of border security and has worked with others to develop technology to do the job.
Now, according to its founder and CEO, Glenn Spencer, ABP has come across a way to count the number of people who cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Spencer says the system will count everyone – everywhere, and will do so in a cost-effective manner. "We are testing the system now and expect to make a major announcement in late February," Spencer said.
