Fewer Deaths at the Border

The Border Patrol reports a decline in deaths of those trying to sneak across the U.S.-Mexican border. The decline has been substantial in the Arizona desert. (See Arizona Republic article.) The number of fatalities is still high -- 256 over nine months. The reasons for the decline are varied -- stepped-up enforcement, the economy, fear of the coyotes or the hardships of the desert. But one new element is the fact that many undocumented workers are staying put because of the economy rather than return home for short visits.