Because a significant portion of the borderlands are federal or tribal lands managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife service, National Park Service and Forest Service, the General Accounting Office recently conducted a study concerning border patrol efforts in these areas.   In its study, the GAO assessed border-related law enforcement challenges for land management agencies in Arizona and Washington, resources land management agencies have received to address these challenges and how the Border Patrol and land management agencies coordinate border-related law enforcement efforts.

The GAO found that illegal border activities have been increasing on federal and tribal lands in Arizona since the mid-to-late 1990s.  Rising illegal activity on these federal lands was found to result from the Border Patrol’s strategy to deter illegal entry by concentrating resources in populated areas, and in turn shifting illegal traffic to more remote federal lands, where Border Patrol has placed fewer resources.  Land management agency officials in Washington are concerned that as the Border Patrol increases resources in populated areas, more illegal traffic will shift to remote federal lands.

After being questioned by the GAO, officials from the five land management agencies believe their resource levels have not kept pace with increases in illegal border activities on their lands.  Agencies have sought more federal funds to address these problems and have received varying levels of law enforcement staffing and resource increases. 

Nationally, the GAO found that interagency coordination of strategic plans and activities among Border Patrol and land management agencies is minimal regarding the Mexican and Canadian borders.  As of May 2004, the Border Patrol had not issued detailed plans to ensure that interagency coordination occurs, nor had it coordinated with land management officials regarding funding for infrastructure and technology improvements.  Some coordination had occurred at the field, as officials from the various agencies had begun meeting to improve operations and to share threat assessments in Arizona.

After examining the situation, the GAO has recommended that the Secretaries of Homeland Security, the Interior, and Agriculture coordinate strategic and funding plans with regard to federal borderlands.  DHS, the Interior, Agriculture, Justice and the Office of Management and Budget reviewed a draft of this report and generally agreed with the GAO’s findings and recommendations.