People who grow up in South Texas are well aware of the presence of the United States Border Patrol. In a new climate of heightened security, terrorism and illegal immigration have become the focus of this nations attention. This makes the Border Patrol the first line of defense in protecting our nation's border crossings. However, in order to understand the role of U.S. Border Patrol, one must be aware of its history, organizational structure and operational strategies. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance this agency plays in the protection of the United States.
             In the early 1900's the U.S. Immigration Service put in place a group of men that consisted of not more than seventy-five. These men were referred to as Mounted Watchmen or Mounted Guards. The inspectors operated out of El Paso, Texas. They patrolled the Southern border as far west as California. The inspector's main focal point was the restriction of Chinese immigration. During that time, the Eighteenth Amendment was in the works, which prohibited the importation, transport, manufacture or sale of alcoholic beverages. The Eighteenth Amendment was effective as of January 16, 1920 at midnight. Because of the enactment of the Immigration Act, the government gave border enforcement renewed attention. These events helped lead Congress to pass the Labor Appropriation Act of 1924, officially establishing the U.S. Border Patrol for the protection of the border between inspection stations. President Franklin D. Roosevelt combined the Bureau of Immigration and the Bureau of Naturalization Service in 1933 and later opened a Border Patrol Academy in December of 1934. In 1940 the Immigration Service was moved from the Department of Labor to the Department of Justice. The agency was comprised of approximately 1,531 officers in 1940. Throughout the rest of the twentieth century, the Border Patrol continued to operate under the umbrella ...