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Illegal Immigration Activities

The U.S. shares nearly 8,000 miles of border with Canada and Mexico. There are approximately 300 official ports of entry. The daunting goal is to ensure the efficient flow of people and commerce, while preventing terrorists and other criminals from entering the country.

Millions of visitors enter the U.S. legally every year, but many others try to enter illegally. They may either attempt to cross the border without detection, or they may try to enter the country with fraudulent documents or by misrepresenting their intentions. Because the United States is seen by many as a “land of opportunity,” many people wish to live here, but are unable to legally emigrate. This results in a steady stream of undocumented or “illegal” aliens who take low-paying jobs offered by unscrupulous employers. The working conditions for these aliens are often just as oppressive as what they left behind. However, employers hold all the power and often threaten to report any illegal aliens who complain.

To address these challenges, CBP Border Patrol agents employ a “prevention through deterrence” strategy. This means that the Border Patrol’s major objective is to deter illegal entry into the U.S., rather than apprehending aliens who are already illegally in the country. Border enforcement takes place by air, sea, and land. Some patrolling is done on horseback or on foot.

CBP operations are divided into 21 sectors. Nine sectors cover much of the four southern border states (California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas). Border apprehensions in the southwest accounted for 98 percent of all Border Patrol apprehensions in 2004 (Border Patrol apprehensions totaled 1,160,395). The remaining sectors are in:

  • Livermore, California
  • New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Miami, Florida
  • Havre, Montana
  • Blaine and Spokane, Washington
  • Grand Forks, North Dakota
  • Buffalo, New York
  • Swanton, Vermont
  • Detroit, Michigan
  • Ramey, Puerto Rico
  • Houlton, Maine

While much immigration activity centers on deterring aliens from entering the country illegally, every year thousands of other immigration investigations take place. ICE Special agents plan and conduct investigations into possible civil and criminal violations involving immigration issues. The investigators often work in multi-agency task forces on issues such as document fraud, narcotic trafficking, terrorism, and various forms of organized crime. Investigators also inspect work sites to make sure employers are not employing undocumented workers; criminal and civil sanctions may be imposed for employers who violate these laws. In 2004, immigration investigators initiated nearly 59,000 investigations into activities such as identity and benefit fraud, alien smuggling, counter terrorism, and other crimes.

An alien who has been identified by the Border Patrol or by ICE investigators as being in the U.S. illegally is typically placed in removal proceedings. Removal means the expulsion of an alien from the U.S. Most removal proceedings are conducted before an immigration judge. However, noncriminal illegal aliens may be given the option of voluntary departure. Voluntary departure means that an alien agrees that the entry was illegal. The alien waives the right to a hearing, and pays the expenses of departing the country. The advantage of voluntary departure is that an alien may be able to obtain lawful admission at a later date. An alien who has been ordered removed, on the other hand, will be barred from legally reentering the country for a period of years, or even for life, depending on the circumstances. An alien who agrees to voluntary departure must verify that the departure actually occurred, in order to be eligible for lawful admission at a later time. Aliens who are apprehended at the border and are offered voluntary departure are typically escorted by authorities back across the border.

Some inadmissibile aliens may be subject to expedited removal. Expedited removal allows authorities to quickly remove certain inadmissible aliens from the country. Expedited removal includes aliens who arrive with no entry documents, or those that have used counterfeit, altered, or otherwise fraudulent or improper documents. Under expedited removal procedures, an alien typically is not allowed to a hearing before an immigration judge.


Inside Illegal Immigration Activities