BORDER "SECURITY"

Progress?:

On Wednesday's hearing in the House of Representatives, it was expected that Homeland Security would produce an estimated progress report for both the Republicans and Democrats. Instead, Mark Borkowski, a senior official stated the department did not have any progress information to provide Senators for their quest in creating comprehensive immigration reform. The Department of Homeland Security was asked to begin documenting progress back in 2010, as it was explained to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano that the government was in need of a reliable measure of the effects of Obama's immigration reforms in order to continue. The previously used "operational control" measure was dropped by Napolitano under the belief that it failed to accurately consider the number of agents and new technologies, a new system has yet to be put in place.

Border Condition Index:

In response to the demands being made in the House of Representatives, Mark Borkowski, along with other officials have now proposed a new measurement of border security titled the Border Condition Index. This program in theory, will produce a very broad and easily understandable assessment of the border. The index will take into consideration things like crime rates in cities along the border, and the legitimate flow of people and goods across the border. Although the Border Condition Index seems like a nice idea, the Department of Homeland Security has still failed to produce any figures, or specific pieces of the measurement, stating it is still "undergoing internal reviews" and cannot provide a date for the finished product.

Opinion: 

Reading that the Department of Homeland Security has not and does not seem close to providing an accurate measure of "security" makes one question the concept itself. How exactly do we measure security? Is it by apprehension of those crossing without documentation? Is it how many crossings there are? How many crimes are committed in cities with major immigrant populations? Or how "secure" each person living in the United States feels? The concept of security is a very fluid concept that I am not sure can be accurately measured and if it in fact cannot, what is the government spending so much of our money on?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/22/us/officials-still-seek-ways-to-assess-border-security.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&