Arrests Again Rise Along Border : 52,329 Illegal Aliens Caught During March in S.D. Area

For the third consecutive month, U.S. immigration authorities have reported substantial increases in the numbers of undocumented immigrants arrested along the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego.

In March, agents recorded 52,329 arrests, more than 1,600 a day--a 21% increase compared to the same period last year, according to the U.S. Border Patrol in San Diego,

The arrest figures here are being watched closely as a potential indicator of the effectiveness of the sweeping immigration law reforms of 1986 that were aimed largely at curbing illegal entry into the United States through San Diego and other border areas.

The San Diego area, which borders on the Mexican city of Tijuana and is the gateway to booming job markets in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California, is considered the single busiest crossing point for migrants seeking to enter the United States illegally from Mexico.

Long-Term Effect

In 1987, the new law appeared to have a sudden and dramatic deterrent effect, with arrests of aliens dropping by almost a third along the 1,900-mile border. This year, however, the arrest numbers have risen sharply in San Diego, raising questions about the new law’s long-term impact.

While acknowledging that officials are “concerned” about the recent surge of illegal immigrants entering through San Diego, William Veal, deputy chief Border Patrol agent in San Diego, said it would be premature to conclude that the immigration law isn’t working.

A fair assessment of the law’s effectiveness, officials say, must await full enforcement of the newly created legal sanctions against employers who hire undocumented workers--sanctions aimed at cutting off the job market for undocumented workers. Officials note, for instance, that sanctions against farmers and other agricultural concerns--traditional employers of undocumented labor--do not take effect until Dec. 1.

“I don’t think we should see great reductions in these numbers until we’ve got full enforcement throughout the economic spectrum,” Veal said.

Despite the large numbers of arrests, Veal said that authorities were also somewhat encouraged that apprehensions in March were roughly the same as in February. Generally, arrests increase substantially in March and April, as more cross the border seeking field jobs and other seasonal work.

However, Veal said that the numbers make March, 1988, the next-to-busiest March ever along the border in San Diego, second only to March, 1986, when 64,475 undocumented foreigners were taken into custody. In fact, 1986 was a record year for arrests of illegal immigrants throughout the border region, a development that provided impetus for the passage of the new immigration law.

Along with the high numbers of arrests in San Diego, Veal said that a troubling trend continued last month: For the third consecutive month, he said, arrests of undocumented non-Mexican nationals--mostly Central Americans--almost doubled compared to the same period last year. Mexican citizens still represent about 98% of those arrested.

In explaining the continued migration toward the border, experts cite ever-declining standards of living in Mexico and elsewhere, plus ongoing political instability in much of Central America.