"I, . . . . . . . , do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."

We are former officers of the United States Border Patrol and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. We all swore the oath above. In this day, when such things are too often seen as archaic, it is with us still - none of us remembers hearing an expiration date when we swore it.

Our ranks include officers who spent their careers on the line or on the streets, enduring discomfort and danger as they worked to protect the nation. Others went on to high positions in the Border Patrol or its parent organization, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, where they did the jobs that made it possible for the field officer to function.

Now, though, we are retired. Distinctions of rank and responsibility are gone, but we share a common heritage: we are brothers and sisters of the badge. Now we want to share with you the things we know. Before we do so, let us tell you the credo we have adopted: "If we didn't live it, if we don't know it, if we can't prove it, we won't say it."

Immigration laws exist for a reason; we know what those reasons are. Click the button in the left column and let us tell you why we need them. Once you understand why they matter we can go on to more complex subjects.