Senator Flake is continuing to push the Justice Department to not only prosecute first time crossers in Tucson but to expand Operation Streamline to other areas along the southern border. One of his "top priorities," Streamline is seen as a success.
Streamline is not a "success," as Flake claims. The Instector General of the the Department of Homeland Security stated in 2015 the the Border Patrol has not been able to prove that incarcerating crossers deters them from crossing again.
Ineffective, yet costly , Operation Streamline costs billions of dollars annually of tax payer money. More billions are spent for incarceration, mostly in private, for profit prisons. For what? Put Operation Streamline on your list of top federal boon doggles, Senator Flake.
Sara Busey
Green Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
