U.S. Border Patrol

In the following viewpoint, the U.S. Border Patrol outlines the strategies it has utilized since the mid-1990s to reduce illegal immigration to the United States. These strategies focus on disrupting traditional routes used by illegal aliens in the Southwest, updating detection technology, improving infrastructure, and increasing manpower to thwart unlawful border crossings. These tactics greatly boost the chance that illegal entrants will be caught and will effectively deter those who are considering unlawful immigration, the authors maintain. The Border Patrol is the mobile, uniformed enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What does the Border Patrol mean by the phrase “prevention through deterrence”?
2. By how much have alien smugglers raised their fees since the...