Crossing Over

Working for the past 11 months in an office quite literally on the border with Mexico has been an education in the reality of border politics.  Contrary to popular belief (which includes my own of a year ago), imagine if you will a rusting corrugated steel wall some 10 feet tall that, due to topography can in places be jumped across with some ease.  It's more of a psychological barrier than a real one.  If your image of the Border Patrol is akin to the gun toting military at the Berlin Wall era, think again.  An under staffed, under equipped group of individuals directed to perform an impossible task - keeping thousands of people intent on crossing the border for on of a variety of reasons from doing so.

Before waxing poetic about 'poor unfortunates merely looking to better their lives', realize that, while true in many cases, this group also includes a substantial fraction of those that traffic drugs and those intent on stealing anything that they can for its salvage value.  And what is the punishment for being caught?  In most cases, so I've learned, it's a free air conditioned ride to a legal border crossing where they are returned to Mexico.  And they can then try again.  And again.

How has all this impacted me?  Some weeks ago, I posted about a Stalag 17-like escape route used by illegals that allowed them to exit through a storm grating a few feet from my office.  Since that time and in a wave of activity, the following have occurred:

The two access gates on the plant property have been repeatedly forced open, bent, had the electrical switchgear torn off it's mounting, and in one enterprising instance, hacksawing off the bottom portion of one gate so individuals could crawl underneath.

Aluminum and steel plates have been broken loose and carried across the border over successive days despite chain link fencing and large (read heavy) weights used as covers.  I presume that this is for salvage value rather than some under budgeted construction project.  Frankly, it amazes me that there aren't easier targets of opportunity for theft on the other side of the border.

My staff has been taunted, threatened, had rocks thrown at them.  Illegals have hidden in basements and buildings on the plant compound despite tall fences and the presence of patrol agents circulated the area.  As their safety is paramount, my gang have been instructed to avoid confrontation and we have taken all reasonable steps to minimize such meetings.

Two border patrol repairmen assigned to repairing the rusting hulk that is the border wall, were charged at and attacked by three illegals who had jumped the border.  The fight ended when one of the repairmen pulled a pistol.

I've seen illegals of all ages run across the plant property and know that I've only seen a minor fraction of it all.

This past Thursday, one of my staff members arrived at a remote station to find illegals with a huge assortment of tools and an almost new welding rig cutting through gratings.  Border Patrol was called, I don't know yet what resulted thereafter.

And so what does all of this say?  There's no clear answer, I think, to how the border should be managed.  Tijuana is a painfully poor, incredibly corrupt, crime ridden place.  To knock down the border as some advocate would not be a positive step.  I am stunned by the sheer nerve of some people and their skewed view on what is/is not appropriate behavior (but suspect that I'm leading a sheltered life in this regard).  Our world is clearly shrinking, borders are becoming less and less practical.  I see no solution.