Border fence not cure for illegal crossers
April 9th, 2008, 9:30 am · 5 Comments · posted by Terry Ross
BY TERRY ROSS, News and Information Center Director
Early this week I participated in a national radio show called “To the Point” which deals with news 
issues. The particular issue we discussed was the border fence being built by the Department of Homeland Security, and more specifically the decision by DHS to ignore environmental requirements.
I wrote an editorial for The Sun on this earlier, although my participation in the radio show was limited mostly to answering a few questions from the host, Warren Olney, about the environmental impact of the fence.
Other people on the show were a spokeswoman from DHS, a border mayor from Texas and a specialist from the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife. During the course of the discussion about the environmental impact, the issue of the effectiveness of the fence was raised.
I was surprised that the DHS person admittedly that the fence was very limited in its effectiveness, simply delaying illegal crossers for a few minutes. The was confirmed the next night in a TV news show featuring a San Diego Border Patrol spokesman who said essentially the same thing - that the fence alone was not deterring crossers.
I have long believed that the fence wouldn’t work, at least not to the extent that promoters want or promise. Illegal crossers are finding ways over them, around them and under them. Determined people can defeat fences, something that is obvious to any observer of history.
The real critical factor is boots on the ground - more border agents - and improved surveillance to help them be where they need to be when people try to cross. Even then, the flow will only be lessened, not stopped. Desperate people will find a way.
We have been sold a bill of goods about the 700 mile border fence. Taxpayers will spend billions and billions of dollars to build and maintain this fence that does little but make opponents of illegal immigration “feel good.” What a waste.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Editor Terry Ross, The term we use frequently, “Build That Fence”, does not refer entirely to a steel and concrete structure, but to the necessity of a comprehensive, and efficient, method of protecting our sovereignty as a people and a nation. Thank you for your article
April 10th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
While returning from a holiday weekend, I watched more than forty people hop the fence in San Luis. I got jealous, as I knew I had more than an hour wait before crossing. Penn and Teller hired a group of illegals to spend a day building a replica section of fence, then broke them into teams to compete going over, under, and through that fence. It had taken a day to build, and minutes to bypass. The only barriers that will prevent crossing are social and economic ones that remove the incentive.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:36 am
I don’t know about the rest of the border, but I would think that this area could have gotten far more creative in barrier building.
For the money spent on an ugly metal barrier that already has holes and breaches, they could have done far better with water and beaches.
Envision an inland water wonderland and recreation area. Wasn’t there always talk of making Yuma a seaport in the past?
What a perfect opportunity to make that happen. With water comes resorts, with resorts come people needing creature comforts, and with people’s needs come employment and business opportunities on both sides of the border.
If they work it right, Yuma could become a really popular recreational area that people would trade for trips to San Diego, El Golfo, and many more outlying recreation areas, and think of the ecological savings in fuel.
Instead of heading across the border to the gulf to enjoy the breeze off of the ocean, bring the ocean to the border. We’re going to get the monsoon moisture in the summer anyway, let’s consider the advantages of working with the elements.
Just a thought.
April 20th, 2008 at 3:45 am
Hello Terry,
Not to throw you a wicked a curve ball, but right now I am about ready to return to the states from Mexico after spending sometime working on a solution for the illegal immigration problem. I feel we have one and we have started to impliment the first steps of a very long process.
When I get into Yuma if you want I am more then willing to sit down and share with you the why to the illegal immigration problem that we face as well as to what extent that I can to explain to you the solution. If your interested send me an e-mail, then later we can decide when we can meet.
Sincerely,
Harley Meyer
Independent Candidate for US Congress
7th Congressional District Arizona
http://www.harleymeyer.com
May 15th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Have you started asking why the border patrol is rejecting the 34 miles of fence that just got put in, so the contractor is having to tear it out? so, we have to pay for it to go in; pay for it to come out, and then pay for something else to go in. Apparently, the fence can be cut on either side where the panel is attached to the poles, then it just rotates on the middle pole, like a swinging door. the illegals hide on one side, when the patrol goes by, then they just push the panel open a foot or so, and come on in. start asking some quesitons mr. ross. i can’t give you my name in fear of reprisal from my employer.