**GAO-11-38**                      Published: Oct 19, 2010. Publicly Released: Oct 19, 2010.                  

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## Highlights

Over the last 5 years, Border Patrol has nearly doubled the number of its agents on patrol, constructed hundreds of miles of border fence, and installed surveillance equipment on and near lands managed by the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture along the southwestern border. In so doing, the agency has had to comply with federal land management laws, and some have expressed concern that these laws may limit agents' abilities to detect and apprehend undocumented aliens. GAO was asked to examine (1) key land management laws Border Patrol operates under and how it and land management agencies coordinate their responsibilities under these laws; (2) how Border Patrol operations are affected by these laws; and (3) the extent to which land management agencies collect and use data related to the environmental effects of illegal activities, such as human trafficking and drug smuggling. GAO reviewed key land management laws, interviewed agents-in-charge at 26 Border Patrol stations responsible for patrolling federal southwest borderlands, and interviewed managers of these lands.

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## Topics

Natural Resources and Environment

Agency missionsBorder patrolsBorder securityFederal lawFederal propertyHomeland securityImmigration enforcementInteragency relationsLand managementLand use agreementsLand use lawLaw enforcementMonitoringNatural resourcesPublic landsSmugglingPolicies and proceduresSecurity operations