Grey skies foreshadowed the solemnity of the occasion during which Commissioner Robert Bonner, joined by Magdalena Carral-Cuevas, Commissioner of the National Institute of Migration within the Mexican Ministry of Interior and Chief Gustavo De La Viña, CBP Border Patrol, unveiled a series of powerfully worded public service announcements that are part of CBP's proactive publicity campaign for border safety and security. Since 1998, the Border Patrol, in cooperation with the Mexican government, has seasonally implemented the BSI, which is aimed at reducing injuries and preventing deaths along our mutual border.

Photo Credit: Gerald L. Nino

Commissioner Robert C. Bonner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, speaks at the opening ceremony for the Border Safety Initiative in Falfurrias, Tex., accompanied by Border Patrol Chief Gustavo De La Vina and Commissioner Magdalena Carral-Cuevas, National Institute of Migration, Mexican Ministry of Interior.

BSI is a humanitarian effort, but it should not be misconstrued as a permissive policy. Commissioner Bonner says, "Make no mistake about the Border Safety Initiative. The migrants who cross our borders are entering the United States in violation of U.S. laws. And I must stress that as much as we deplore the loss of human life--and we do--and as much as we condemn ruthless human smugglers who put lives at risk for profit--and we do--we will enforce the laws of the United States."

Saving lives

From its inception, the BSI has saved thousands of lives. Indeed, in the past six years, the Border Patrol has rescued more than 7,600 migrants from near certain death. In FY 2003 alone there were 1,121 migrant rescues. Those seeking illegal entry into the country face danger of injury or death on many fronts. In response, the BSI takes a multi-faceted approach to enhancing border safety. The first component is prevention, and public service announcements are a critical part of the effort to educate the public on the risks inherent in making illegal crossings. But for those who do try to cross and find their lives in peril, the Border Patrol offers a safety net--an expanded search and rescue and emergency services program during the high-risk summer months. The third component focuses on identifying deceased immigrants and notifying their families. Finally, the Border Patrol collects BSI data for reporting and analysis of any trends that may enhance future border safety efforts.

Photo Credit: James Tourtellotte

CBP Border Patrol BORSTAR agents provide emergency services to illegal immigrants who succumb to the rigors of the desert.

"A secure border is a safe border, and a safe border saves lives. One of the best ways to save lives is to reduce the number of illegal immigrants who try to cross in the first place," said CBP Commissioner Robert C. Bonner. Communication is one of the most effective weapons in the struggle for border safety. The information conveyed must be compelling so that anyone considering an illegal crossing is convinced that the potential cost of an attempt is too great.

A warning message

Posters will be put up and radio and television announcements broadcast throughout Mexico but especially in the southern Mexican provinces of Oaxca, Chiapas, and Campeche and along the borders with Guatemala and Belize, which are the starting points for more than 75 percent of the illegal immigrants crossing into the United States. The announcements will run from May through September, the hot summer months known as the "season of death" for the large number of heat-related migrant deaths that occur during this period. One poster shows a graveyard and warns, "No mas cruces en la frontera" which translates to "No more crosses on the border." This phrase carries a dual meaning: one warns illegal immigrants not to cross the border, the other commands "no more crosses" (graves) resulting from ill-fated crossing attempts. Yet another message cautions, "De valientes y machotes estan llenos los panteones," or in English, "The graveyards are full of the brave and fearless." Powerful words and dramatic graphic depictions are meant to dissuade would-be immigrants from making the treacherous journey to our border and attempting an illegal crossing.

Getting the border safety message across is a challenge. Many Mexicans will see and hear these broadcasts, but they have their own word of mouth communication network that may provide inaccurate and potentially deadly information. I had an opportunity to speak with some locals across the border in the town of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. I asked a lady in the park, "Have any of your family members ever tried to cross the border illegally?" "Yes," she answered. "How did it turn out?" I asked. "Well, a cousin who had made an attempt this year was apprehended and returned to Mexico. But a few years ago another relative had made it across and was working construction." * * * * * I asked a shopkeeper the same questions. He told me he had a great uncle who had come illegally to the United States 30 years ago. His great uncle married, had three children, and was now a grandfather. At some point he had obtained amnesty. And then there was a waiter in the restaurant where I ate lunch. After reassurances that I was not taking names or identifying information, I got answers. "Sure, I had a family member, Manuel, who had crossed illegally four years ago." "How did he cross?" I asked. "Smuggled in a tractor-trailer"."Coming across the border, didn't it get checked?" "Yes, the truck drove through a checkpoint, but the smugglers had them get off the truck before coming to the checkpoint. They were made to walk through the brush on foot around the checkpoint, and they were picked up again some miles down the road." * * * * * Manuel was lucky. Almost daily there are reports of people whose lives are jeopardized or lost by the profit-seeking smugglers who charge $1,500 to $2,500 per person for their services, but who view their human cargo merely as a "cash crop." Manuel could just as easily have been one of the 19 people who died a year ago, locked in the back of an airless tractor-trailer abandoned near Victoria, Tex. An unscrupulous "coyote" left the group, including an infant, to die of heat, thirst, and suffocation.

The poster above says, "Before you plan to cross the border, remember: It is hard to make a living if you lose your life," and, "The reasons why many who have tried illegal crossings and failed are written over the tombstones: because everyone else was crossing: because I wanted to earn some dollars; and because they made it look easy."

A tougher border to cross

There may have been a time when our borders were more porous, but that has changed. Today our borders have hardened. New technology, additional manpower, and sophisticated patrol techniques are tools that are used to protect our borders. Commissioner Bonner remarked, "All U.S. border personnel are now unified into a single agency to manage, control, and secure our borders. By pooling all that expertise, personnel, technology, wisdom, skill, and talent, we are controlling our borders as never before."

So it is at the remote Falfurrias border station, officials charged with maintaining the integrity of our mutual border and ranchers from the local community gather to rededicate themselves to the daunting task of keeping our borders safe and sound. As the officials and press view exhibits of new border enforcement technology set up along the side of the road, a relentless stream of tractor-trailers, trucks, and automobiles pass through this checkpoint 20 miles from anywhere. One wonders-do these conveyances hide any would-be immigrants, or have they gotten the message-you can't make a living if you lose your life.