[FairOpinion]

Thanks for the links. I'll check them out.

I would be very interested to see some actual statistics over time -- maybe some of it is in your links. It would be nice to have a total estimated crossings per year for the past 10 years and what fraction of those did they catch. Obviously, they don't know exactly how many got throught, but they probably have an idea.

What I read is that they are catching a higher percent of the illegal border crossers, as high as 80%, and that's why the number of the apprehended ones is higher.

But I didn't save the link and could never find the article again.

[HiJinx]

Didn't save the link..boy, I know how that goes.

What I 'know' of percentages of those who get through is based on the gut feeling of the agents on the line. They have told me and/or acquaintances of mine that they catch anywhere from one in five to one in ten illegal crossers.

The number who got away has gone down during periods of intense scrutiny, such as Operation Ice last month. However, that has ended and there are more getting past the Border Patrol now.