Unmanned drones and no more fences: U.S. Border Patrol unveils new plan to tackle influx of illegal immigrants from Mexico



The U.S. Border Patrol on Tuesday unveiled its first national strategy in eight years, a period in which illegal immigration over the Mexican border to America has dropped dramatically.

And as migration has slowed the number of agents has more than doubled as apprehensions of people entering illegally from Mexico dropped to a 40-year low.

The new approach - outlined in a 32-page document that took more than two years to develop - uses buzzwords like 'risk-based' and 'intelligence-driven' to describe a more nuanced, targeted response to constantly evolving threats.

The U.S Border Patrol has unveiled it's first new strategy in eight years that moves its emphasis away from long fences to unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters

The new strategy makes no mention of expanding fences and other physical barriers, a departure from the administration of President George W. Bush.



U.S Border Patrol chief Mike Fisher said he would rule out more fences but, 'It's not going to be part of our mantra.'



Fisher said the agency is moving more toward mobile surveillance like unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters.

'We're still trying to understand what the capabilities are with all the technologies and the platforms,' said Fisher.



Last year, the Border Patrol made 327,577 apprehensions on the Mexican border, down 80 percent from more than 1.6 million in 2000

'I'm just trying to figure out what is the best suite on all this stuff.'

The Border Patrol previously relied on a strategy that blanketed heavily trafficked corridors for illegal immigrants with agents, pushing migrants to more remote areas where they would presumably be easier to capture and discouraged from trying again.

'The jury, for me at least, is out on whether that's a solid strategy,' said Fisher.



The new strategy draws on intelligence to identify repeat crossers and to try to determine why they keep coming, explained Fisher, who was expected to address a House subcommittee on the plan this Tuesday.

'This whole risk-based approach is trying to figure out who are these people? What risk do they pose from a national security standpoint? The more we know, the better informed we are about identifying the threat and potential risk,' said Fisher in a recent interview.

Since 2004, the agency has more than doubled its number of agents to 21,000 accompanied by spending on fencing, cameras and sensors

Conditions on the border have changed dramatically since the last national strategy, putting pressure on the agency to adapt to a new landscape.



An unprecedented hiring boom more than doubled the number of agents to 21,000 since 2004, accompanied by heavy spending on fencing, cameras and sensors.



At the same time, migration from Mexico has slowed significantly. Last year, the Border Patrol made 327,577 apprehensions on the Mexican border, down 80 percent from more than 1.6 million in 2000. It was the slowest year since 1971.

While the U.S Border Patrol is moving its emphasis away from large physical obstacles to illegal immigration it does not want that to become known as its 'mantra'

The Pew Hispanic Center reported last month that the largest wave of migrants from a single country in U.S. history had stopped increasing and may have reversed.

The new strategy moves to halt a revolving-door policy of sending migrants back to Mexico without any punishment.

The Border Patrol now feels it has enough of a handle to begin imposing more serious consequences on almost everyone it catches from Texas' Rio Grande Valley to San Diego.



As part of their new strategy, the U.S Border Patrol aims to employ tougher punishment on anyone caught attempting to illegally cross the border

In January, it expanded its "Consequence Delivery System" to the entire border, dividing border crossers into seven categories, ranging from first-time offenders to people with criminal records.

Punishments vary by region but there is a common thread: Simply turning people around after taking their fingerprints is the choice of last resort.



Some, including children and the medically ill, will still get a free pass by being turned around at the nearest border crossing, but they will be few and far between.

Border Parol vehicles near route 19 with a view of the Patagonia Mtns behind near the border town of Nogales between Arizona, US and Sonora, Mexico

The strategy makes only brief mention of technology in the wake of a failed $1 billion program that was supposed to put a network of cameras, ground sensors and radars along the entire border.



The strategy makes it a top priority to ferret out corrupt agents, which has emerged as a growing threat as the agency has expanded.

It is the Border Patrol's third national strategy since 1994, when the agency poured resources into the San Diego and El Paso, Texas, areas.

