Night of patrol shows holiday lull ending for border agents
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LAREDO, Texas The new year brings a work-related revelation to Border Patrol agents in the Laredo sector.

Many illegal immigrants have started to head for the railroad yard that parallels Interstate 35 in north Laredo.

It's the end to the yearly lull in arrests of illegal immigrants at a common crossing point along the Texas-Mexico border.

Tens of thousands of immigrants attempt to return to the U-S illegally after spending the holidays with family and friends.

Border Patrol agents have made more than 55-hundred arrests so far this month.

Those are among the roughly 75-thousand arrests annually in the Laredo sector during the past two years.

Most Mexicans are sent back voluntarily, although not without recording their attempt to cross.

The first few times, they're typically just warned. Once they reach a certain threshold, set by Texas judges, they open themselves to jail time for illegal entry.