But the Border Patrol's new use of unmanned drone surveillance planes has displeased immigration advocates and others.

The remotely piloted Hermes 450 craft, which can stay aloft for 20 hours at a time, are not armed with missiles like the Predators that gained renown in U.S. military and CIA operations. Predator-fired missiles have killed several top al-Qaida operatives in Afghanistan and Yemen.

The Border Patrol drones will carry cameras with thermal and night vision capabilities that can detect movement 15 miles away as they fly over vast stretches of cactus, mesquite and scrub-covered deserts, mountains and sprawling grasslands.

Still, it won't matter if we can watch tragedy unfold, yet affect it not, if there is insufficient manpower to send a patrol to the destination marked by the drone. And what if weapons are added to these drones as part of future program enhancements?

The Cost of Illegal Immigration to Arizonans

Analysis of the latest Census data indicates that Arizona’s illegal immigrant population is costing the state’s taxpayers about $1.3 billion per year for education, medical care and incarceration. Even if the estimated tax contributions of illegal immigrant workers are subtracted, net outlays still amount to about $1.3 billion per year. The annual fiscal burden borne by Arizonans amounts to more than $700 per household headed by a native-born resident.