Line of illegal moving across a ranch on the Cochise County, Ariz.-Mexican border.

The foot traffic is so heavy that the backcountry has the ambience of a garbage dump and smells like an outdoor privy. In places, the land is littered a foot deep with bottles, cans, soiled disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, panties, clothes, backpacks, human feces, used toilet paper, pharmacy bottles and syringes (the drug runners inject stimulants to keep their energy up).

Pick-up truck load of mixed-nationality illegals destined for Tucson or Phoenix, Ariz. Once in those cities, an organized pipeline disburses them across America. The "trucking" is generally handled by street gangs. Photo by Donald Barnett, Bisbee,

Group of unauthorized immigrants take a rest break on a trail that winds across the Barnett ranch near Douglas, Ariz

After they cross the border. The agent said, they can't get a coyote to transport them and they are offering about $30,000 per person with no takers.

U.S. Border Patrol agents are

doing the best they can,

considering their sparse

numbers and the impossible

terrain they patrol in four-

wheel-drive vehicles, quad-

runners and on foot. Agents

of the Border Patrol have

their other fears besides

being ambushed by rock-

chucking illegal and

confrontations with assault-

rifle-armed narcos, They are

not allowed to speak about

what they cope with each

day.

The numbers of unauthorized immigrants smuggled across this porous border dumbfound the imagination. To date, the U.S. Border Patrol has apprehended 158,782 illegals in 2001. By the Border Patrol's own admission, it catches one alien in five, and admits that around 800,000 have slipped across the U.S. line this year. The local ranchers, who have been watching the border for several generations, strongly disagree. They contend the agency only nets one in 10, and estimate that in 2001 over 1.5 million unlawful immigrants have crossed into America in what the Border Patrol calls the Tucson Sector.

YearYear ImmigrantsImmigrants

18941894 109109

18951895 116116

19001900 237237

19051905 3,6373,637

19101910 18,69118,691

19151915 12,34012,340

19201920 52,36152,361

19251925 740,000740,000

19301930 500,000500,000

19801980 876,000876,000

19911991 1,952,0001,952,000

19981998 750,000750,000

The population of H

ispanic

people have incre

ased each

year

First Hispanics immigrant begin to com to the united states

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo has become increasingly popular along the U.S.-Mexico border and in parts of the U.S. that have a high population of people with a Mexican heritage. In these areas the holiday is a celebration of Mexican culture, of food, music, beverage and customs unique to Mexico.

Today's CelebrationFor the most part, the holiday of Cinco de Mayo is more of a regional holiday in Mexico, celebrated most vigorously in the state of Puebla. Though there is recognition of the holiday throughout the whole country, it's nothing like that found in Puebla.