Alan Bersin, named border czar by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, has his work cut out for him.
We welcome added attention to our border with Mexico, but we also hope Bersin learned something from Operation Gatekeeper.
He was the Southwest border official for the Department of Justice when Operation Gatekeeper brought massive enforcement to the San Diego area – a move that spurred illegal immigrants and smugglers to instead cross the deadly Sonoran Desert in Arizona.
Death did not prove to be a deterrent for desperate immigrants. Rather, hundreds have died each year in Arizona’s badlands ever since.
As Bersin works to increase safety on the border now, we hope he uses the lessons of yesteryear to bring not just more enforcement, but also smarter enforcement – with policies that save lives rather than cost them.