Armed with flashlights and binoculars, pistols and handcuffs, the two men hop in a stark-white Ford Bronco and head toward the dimming sun. He spent most of that time preparing cases for prosecution against illegal immigrants and alien smugglers, but returned to the field four months ago. At age 51, Laurel is the veteran of the pair. He has worked all of his 27 years with the Border Patrol on the line, as it's called, and grins sardonically at his partner's enthusiasm. Now I see the reality.
Reality is another night on the front line in the battle against illegal immigration.
As Congress finishes work on legislation aimed at aiding in that fight, these men watch from afar and simply wait for the changes. It's an economic thing. They've got nothing to lose. Even De Anda, the optimist of the two, agrees that provisions included in this latest effort at immigration reform won't do the trick. The main problem is the legislation lacks sanctions against U.S. employers who hire illegal immigrants, he said.