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Border Arrests Decrease 8%

We have made some substantial progress over the last year, although much more remains to be done," said Chertoff.

Secretary Michael Chertoff announced that the U.S. Border Patrol arrested 8.4 percent fewer illegal immigrants last fiscal year. "We have begun to see, for the first time, a significant turnaround in terms of the number of illegals that we are finding crossing the border," he said at a press conference with Assistant Secretary Julie Myers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Chief David Aguilar of the U.S. Border Patrol.

"What is important is to put into place a strategy that, if consistently followed, will put us on a course that will get us security at the border. That's what the public has a right to expect. It's one of the fundamental obligations we have as a government in terms of securing our country, and it is an objective toward which we have made some substantial progress over the last year, although much more remains to be done."
Chertoff's Entire Announcement