The port of entry is designed to implement next-generation technology.

We are in another election season, and issues are being thrown around and candidates from all parties are being blamed.

As usual this season, the US-Mexico border is once again being used as a punching bag by candidates who claim to be tough on drugs and illegal immigration. One term that annoys me is the term “open borders” that is constantly bandied about by candidates, implying that the US is doing nothing to stop the flow of immigrants north from Mexico. I don’t like that term because the Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection agents and their partners work tirelessly every day to protect Americans and get little recognition.

I have dealt with CBP and Border Patrol officers throughout my career. I was impressed by their dedication to their work, which is the most stressful of any field. I once had a student who is a Border Patrol agent write an essay about the challenges faced by members of this agency. I was surprised to hear about the high divorce rate and depression. Border Patrol agents often work short hours, and spend a lot of time away from their families while patrolling the border. They witness first hand the desperate nature of humanity and its impact on children and the most vulnerable. These factors can lead to high turnover of agents.

Not only do CBP and Border Patrol protect Americans from contraband such as illegal drugs and dangerous goods, but both are the primary process for asylum seekers who safely surrender themselves to pass the asylum process. They are allowed to stay in America

Asylum seekers are caught between dire security and economic conditions in their home countries and an American immigration system that neither Democrats nor Republicans seem to have the political will to effectively address. In the past, the vast majority of immigrants came from Mexico, but now include people from countries such as Venezuela, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Cuba, as well as many Eastern European countries. This makes managing them more challenging. The large number of asylum seekers must tire the agents who have to get up every day to do their jobs. And it’s not as simple as recruiting new agents off the street and putting them on the front lines. These types of jobs can take months to background check, train, and develop agents with experience in the field before new hires can do their job effectively.

Given the high-profile nature of their work, border agents can use all the help and support they can get. One way to do this is to incorporate high-tech equipment to process people and loads more safely and efficiently, especially with a lack of manpower. Recently, CBP at the Santa Teresa port of entry in southern New Mexico announced that it will receive non-intrusive inspection equipment to inspect commercial goods crossing the Mexican border into the United States.

Ports along the southern border have long used vehicle and trade inspection systems to inspect cargo. However, many ports of entry have an average inspection rate of less than 20%, due to the volume and diversity of traffic. Additionally, there is not enough manpower to inspect each shipment.

Bituah Leumi equipment is the latest inspection technology to replace older systems at the border. This system allows cargo to be inspected electronically quickly and efficiently, thus enabling a higher inspection percentage, perhaps 80% or more. Faster inspections can speed up traffic flow, while catching more contraband, which is a win-win for CBP and the private sector.

Currently, the Brownsville, Texas, port of entry is the only port where this new Bituah Leumi technology has been installed. The Santa Teresa port of entry will be the second Bitouah Leumi port, which is expected to be operational by the end of the year or early next year. According to B.I.I. Incorporating existing technologies is the wave of the future at the border to control smuggling and people smuggling. He makes a strong case against those who throw around the word “open borders”.

Jerry Pacheco is executive director of the International Business Accelerator, a nonprofit business advisory program of the New Mexico Network of Small Business Development Centers. He can be reached at 575-589-2200 or at jerry@nmiba.com.