Corruption Spreading among Border Patrolmen
Since 2001, concerns about national security have led to heightened enforcement of immigration laws at the United States/Mexico border. But, according to the New York Times, increased enforcement has come with increased corruption among immigration and customs agents. And the trend seems to be worsening.
Two recent cases in which longtime border patrolmen came under investigation for questionable activity highlighted the problem of corruption at the border. One man reportedly arrested and sentenced for smuggling illegal immigrants and contraband goods as well as accepting bribes was a 16-year veteran of the force.
Another case involved two brothers who apparently fled when they realized officials were on to them. The brothers haven't been seen or heard from since. And, while the tenure of the officers involved in those incidents gave them a high profile, sources indicate that about 200 cases are currently pending against border officers in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
So why the increase in patrol corruption?
It seems several factors come into play. Tightened restrictions and enforcement of immigration laws mean that smugglers are less likely to succeed without help from an insider - someone working for the government. The temptation of significant bribes has apparently proved too great for many workers to avoid, and so corruption spreads.
And then the sheer numbers come into play. By 2009, an estimated 20,000 individuals will allegedly be employed by border patrol - that's about twice the number of border patrol officers in 2001. The work required to hire so many new employees translates to less time and fewer resources to complete thorough background checks for each applicant.
The Times reports that, in an effort to address the problem of corruption among border patrol workers, the Department of Homeland Security will begin administering lie detector tests to applicants for border patrol jobs, to help determine whether or not applicants are already involved in smuggling schemes.
Other factors, too, contribute to the levels of corruption plaguing Customs and Border Protection.
When the Department of Homeland Security was created in 2003, a mélange of existing departments came together. Now, it seems, three separate internal affairs units in addition to the Federal Bureau of Investigations have jurisdiction over corruption cases involving border patrol officers.
While the various units working together have the potential of acting as "force multipliers" to strengthen the investigative capabilities of each, sources suggest that more often, the multiple authorities have a slowing effect on investigations. It seems that, in some cases, it's not clear which unit should take precedence, and cases move forward slowly and inefficiently.
Immigration policy has attracted much attention in recent months, and should continue to do so as the presidential candidates duke it out approaching November's election.