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Border and Wilderness Handout
Wilderness Does Not Affect Border Security
Some people have claimed that wilderness designation might adversely affect border security. This is not true.
This based on three factors:
1. A natural barrier: The land itself is a natural deterrent.
2. Border Patrol access: Existing roads patrolled by Border Patrol remain open.
3. Border Patrol's Procedures: Border Patrol's own agreements with the Departments of Interior and Agriculture ensure that border security operations are effectively conducted on public (National Forest) lands.
A Natural Barrier
The Tumacacori Highlands is an exceptionally rugged piece of southern Arizona - as described by Border Patrol officials when they note there are parts of the border almost-impossible to get to. While there is illegal cross-border activity almost everywhere along the Arizona border, the activity is much higher in the flatter, lower areas close to existing roads and highways. The proposed Tumacacori Highlands wilderness area is some of the most rugged terrain along the border. That’s an obstacle in itself.
The rugged terrain of the Tumacacori Highlands is prohibitive for migrants and others to move through the area. Border Patrol often patrols on horseback and helicopter because of the extreme rugged nature of the Highlands. These patrols are not affected by wilderness designation.
In fact, Wilderness designation increases border security by preserving this rugged landscape as a barrier - without protection, the creation of undocumented, illegally made ORV roads and off-road tracks would make it much easier for people to move through the area.
Border Patrol Access
The only through-road in the area is Ruby Road, a graded dirt road running east-west a few miles north of the border. Ruby Road and every existing Forest Service road south of it will remain open to Border Patrol vehicular travel under wilderness designation for the purposes of patrolling and public safety, in addition to access by horseback and helicopter.
Border Patrol's Procedures
The Tumacacori Highlands Wilderness proposal explicitly refers to Border Patrol's own procedures, signed by Secretary Chertoff and authorized by the Department of Homeland Security in 2006 to ensure they can continue to aggressively pursue and capture illegal immigrants and drug smugglers in wilderness areas.
Those procedures are detailed in an inter-agency Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) titled "Regarding Cooperative National Security and Counter terrorism Efforts on Federal Lands along the United States' Borders" between the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Agriculture - and signed by DHS Secretary Chertoff on March 24, 2006. This MOU details procedures to be followed on federally-managed public lands, and specifically in designated wilderness areas, including the following:
Section IV, B, 4: "Nothing in this MOU is intended to prevent CBP-BP agents from exercising existing exigent/emergency authorities to access lands, including authority to conduct motorized off-road pursuit of suspected CBVs [cross-border violators] at any time, including in areas designated or recommended as wilderness..."
To be clear on a few specific points:
