In 1986, 3 million undocumented immigrants gained citizenship. Eleven million crossed the border since then.
In 1986, there were 3,222 U. S. Border Patrol agents and 18,500 agents today. (There are 34,500 police in New York City alone.)
In 1986, the border was wide-open; today, barriers are built along 700 miles of the border. The U. S.-Mexico border is 1954 miles.
Arrest of undocumented immigrants is about 350,000 per year and migrant flow has receded overall due to lack of jobs. the true test comes when the economic downturn is over and the economy improves.
Fencing, 24 hour lighting, border agents and surveillance systems haven't been able to seal our border completely. The Fence Act of 2006 resulted in triple fencing in some areas, i.e. El pPso and San Diego, including some fencing which was topped with razor wire. Arrest dropped from 138,000 in 2005 to 6,500 in 2012.
Read more about Congressional proposals to "secure" the border which seems to many another boon for defense contractors.
Border security alone won't work. The enormous cost to secure rural areas is prohibitive. The next battle ground is the workplace which will require stronger enforcement against employers of undocumented workers.
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