Checkpoint Death : More illegal immigrants are killed attempting to run across I-5

If some rules are made to be broken, some fences simply may tempt those on the other side to skirt, hurdle or break through the barrier. A fence still on the drawing board for a stretch of Interstate 5 in the vicinity of the Border Patrol checkpoint near San Clemente already has raised doubts about its capacity to stem the tide of illegal immigrants so hungry for a better life that they risk life and limb.

And the larger failure of immigration control efforts at the border has been evident in recent months. A stopgap measure like a fence may be warranted as one way to help buy time for more effective long-term strategies. The current hodgepodge of inland efforts produced a questionable Border Patrol sweep at an apartment complex in Orange that damaged property and scared innocent people out of their wits; a freeway chase north from the checkpoint raised safety questions anew. In recent days, the checkpoint itself and the planned fence were being reviewed because of highway misfortune: Within a week, three illegal immigrants were killed and one was left in critical condition after being hit when attempting to run across the freeway.

The Border Patrol reports ominously that there appear to be more people “out there” nowadays, and it fears more fatalities. While there are questions about the effectiveness of a fence, putting something up may be better than doing nothing. That, in effect, has been the position of Caltrans in response to a 1990 Cal State Fullerton study of checkpoint safety. If the fence recommended by the study dissuades the elderly, the infirm or people with children from crossing, it may help.

Ultimately, a fence may be circumvented or it may shift the immigrants’ crossing site. So for the long run, the old question still will have to be answered: Why have a checkpoint at all so far from the border?