LatinaLista — Well, it’s official.
The next big business along the Texas-Mexico border is (drumroll) — the 17-foot ladder business!
(Source: claybennett.com)
Department of Homeland Security today released where they plan to build the Texas-Mexico portion of the border fence and — it doesn’t look good.
According to an article in the Rio Grande Guardian, the fence will be built in 21 segments and span 69.89 miles through the border towns of Rio Grande City, McAllen, Mercedes, Harlingen, Brownsville, and Fort Brown.
In addition to stipulating that the fence will be 16 feet high, DHS has provided other criteria that underscores the fact that this fence is meant to divide and separate.
However, design criteria require that, at a minimum, the fence must be 16 feet high and 3 to 6 feet below ground, capable of withstanding a crash of a 10,000-pound (gross weight) vehicle traveling at 40 miles per hour, capable of withstanding vandalism, cutting or penetrating; semi-transparent, as dictated by operational need, designed to survive extreme climate changes, able to reduce any minimal impacts on small animal movement, not impede the natural flow of water; and be aesthetically pleasing.
However, though the maps are now being circulated and word is that work would begin in Spring 2008 and continue through December 31, 2008, it seems that nobody is quite sure this is for real.
“The government has not appropriated the money for this fence and so the left hand still does not know what the right hand is doing,†Border Trade Alliance President Maria Luisa O’Connell told the Guardian. “How much of this is reality, we do not know.â€
Let’s see, a plan that is not fully funded or known by all involved departments of the government.
Sounds like another recipe for a false “Mission Accomplished.”
Comment(15)
Frank
The anarchists and traitors are hoping it won’t haoppen but it will.
Anonymous
I think it’s a good idea to divide and separate the United States from people who want to sneak into the nation. This wall will at least funnel the invaders through certain areas, and I hope we will see the Border Patrol picking them up and sending them home. And, no, I am not a racist. Send the illegals from Ireland home first!
S Nicol
The Border Patrol’s plans for the border wall and maps of its route through Rio Grande Valley communities and refuges can be found at http://www.borderfencenepa.com/rio-grande-valley-sector-eis/ . Scroll down to the 3 “General Locations of Tactical Infrastructure†lines to see PDF maps. The Lower Valley map is particularly disturbing, as it includes mileage beyond the 700+ mandated by the Secure Fence Act running up the coast from Boca Chica. I would urge everyone to submit a comment at the bottom of the page, then call Senators Cornyn and Hutchison and demand that they stop this monstrosity in its tracks. The Border Patrol and Department of Homeland Security have said on a number of occasions that the wall will only slow a crosser down by a few minutes, despite a pricetag of over $46 billion. Though it won’t stop human border crossers, it will do tremendous damage to our communities and environment.
Frank
Nope, you are wrong. In San Diego alone where there is only a 14 mile fence built, it has cut illegal entry back to next to nothing in that area.
In the case of the 700 mile fence, it is being built on the most commonly used points of illegal entry. Where there won’t be one, the terrain is very diffult to navigate and there will be extra Border Patrol there along with high tech surveillance equipment. Let’s face it, the pro-illegals aren’t concerned about the costs anyway, the environment or any other excuse they come up with for not building it. The fence will be a huge deterrant to their illegal amigos crossing our border and that is the bottom line of their objection.
David O.
I like that it has to be aesthetically pleasing. Is it to be painted to coordinate with the local vegetation or does it mean that the will the razor wire be kept clean?
Horace
David O, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The friends and families of illegal aliens who’ve aided and abetted them will no doubt find the whole idea abhorent, but I will not. Perhaps some smiley faces painted on the enemy side will improve the humor of the illegal aliens as they approach the border.
S Nicol
Sorry Frank, but if you read the Congressional Research Service report from June they found that the walls built in California and Arizona had no significant impact on the number of people who live in the US illegally. Fully half enter on valid visas that they overstay, and the rest have no problem going over, under, or around the walls. DHS spokesman Russ Knocke said that the walls will only slow someone down by a few minutes. This is a non-solution concocted by politicians who want to provide a false sense of security that will get them reelected, not a functional solution to a complicated issue.
Horace
Well, S Nicol, at least the State Department had an opportunity to vette the expired visa holders before they entered this country, and for the most part, we have a good idea who they are. On the other hand, we have no idea of the character of those who cross the border without going through U.S. Immigration ports of entry.
The fence, will be monitored by cameras. The idea is to observe and delay entry until the Border Patrol can intercept. Cameras mounted on high towers can see the enemy approach for miles before they actually hit the fence giving time for the Border Patrol determine the direction from where they’ll be coming and schedule an interception at a projected location at the fence line. The fence is just a delaying element that will indeed hinder those physically incapable of scaling, namely women with children. It will also be an excellent deterrence against families who would cross, as the men would not leave their families behind at the fence line.
Critics of the fence are just being disingenuous, as they really don’t care how much the fence costs. If they cared about its cost, they’d also care about the huge cost attendent with expanding our Border Patrol to cope with the problem of illegal immigration. Illegal immigration is costing our country billions, just at the border alone. The recurring cost of salaries for these men and women will be far greater than any fence.
The fence also sends a message to the enemy, that they are not welcome and that the U.S. means business, demoralizing them.
Horace
The fence is the only solution, as Latin America keeps producing millions of poor and illiterate, far beyond the demands that the U.S. could ever provide employment for. We already have laws and deport those who violate them, so workplace enforcement and border security are the only measures that will deter illegal immigration. People say that we should have a guest worker program, but it is evident that even with such a program, people would still come, contrary to the wishes of the American citizens. Consequently, there is no objective evidence or logical reason why there should be a diminuation of deaths in the desert. People come of their own volition, against the odds of survival, and they’ll come despite our government telling them that they’ll be deported because our guest worker quotas are full and we have no work. They’ll attempt to gain employment as day laborers, from the same unscrupulous employers who tempt prosecution so they can undercut their law abiding competition. Physical barriers, observation systems, seismic sensors against tunneling and quick reaction mobile Border Patrol teams have great potential from protecting our country from the illegal aliens menace.
Frank
S. Nicol, the fence in San Diego did cut illegal entry in that sector way down. I will try to find the link to prove it.
And you are wrong about the visa overstayers. They only compile 40% of illegals in this country. 60% cross without ever having any visas or papers to be here.
Did the Great Wall of China work, YES! Did the Berlin wall work, YES and for a very long time. I am not saying that I agree with the Berlin wall’s purpose because it was separating a city in half. It had nothing to do with illegal immigration.
Frank
Here is the link about the San Diego fence. It cut illegal immigration back in that sector by 95%!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5323928
S Nicol
“Enemies” Horace? You say that “The fence is just a delaying element that will indeed hinder those physically incapable of scaling, namely women with children.” Are women and children our enemies? Are we going to spend $46 billion to keep out women and children?
If you want to read the government’s own assessment of the impact of the San Diego border fence, go to http://bibdaily.com/pdfs/CRS_border_fence_june2007.pdf and read the Congressional Research Service report of June, 2007. My favorite quote says, “The primary fence, by itself, did not have a discernible impact on the influx of unauthorized aliens coming across the border in San Diego,” When congress voted for the Secure Fence Act they knew full well that a wall will only slow someone down by 5 minutes, as the Border Patrol has said on a number of occasions. They built it to whip up the xenophobic vote.
As for the Berlin Wall as a shining example of what America should do, as an American I find that extremely offensive. Should we also recreate Stalin’s death camps? Hundreds made it through the Berlin Wall. More importantly, hundreds were shot trying to cross it. Are we supposed to emulate East Germany? Has our nation degenerated that much?
Frank
S.Nicol, your report is a report for congress written by two Latinos as far as I can see. It doesn’t hold any credibility with me.
I gave the Berlin wall as an example of walls that work but I also stated that I didn’t agree with it’s reason for being built as it divided a city in half. It had nothing to do with keeping out illegal aliens. Why did you disregard my statement and pretend that I approved of it? Our fence would be built to keep out illegal aliens and terrorists, big difference!
Why do you equate the desire to secure our borders and retain our sovereignty as a nation with xenophobia? That is ridiculous!
Frank
Yes woman and children ARE also our enemies if they are violating our immigration laws! The fence is to keep out men, women and children who try to cross our border illegally.
There is hardly anyone being shot now for crossing our border illegally, why would it be any different with a wall? Death camps? My, you do like to exaggerate and play melo-dramatics to defend your weak arguments, don’t you?
Horace
“As for the Berlin Wall as a shining example of what America should do, as an American I find that extremely offensive.”
Frankly, your feelings don’t matter a bit to me. If my neighbor insists on disregarding my property rights I have the right to build a fence, and no court in the land would contest my right to do so. Millions of Americans have fences around their back yards. Are they communist tyrants? The wall may offend my neighbor, but he’s the one that’s shown contempt for my feelings and provoked its construction. Your analogy lacks common sense. Our nation has a right to defend its sovereignty against an invasion, even by innocuous migrants. We do have a border, and there is a political and cultural difference between the U.S. and Mexico, and American feel that their culture is worth defending from supplantation. I suspect that Mexico and the rest of Latin America feel the same way.
I don’t care if we offend the people of Mexico, as they’ve offended us for some time now by disregarding our wishes. A fence is commensurate with international law, and that’s good enough for me. You’d be hard-pressed to argue against this and win, even in the repulsive United Nations.
“Should we also recreate Stalin’s death camps?”
This is just ridiculous hyperbole that doesn’t warrant the dignity of a reply.
“Hundreds made it through the Berlin Wall. More importantly, hundreds were shot trying to cross it. Are we supposed to emulate East Germany? Has our nation degenerated that much?”
No rational law abiding citizen has called for violence.
I do call these people our enemy. Illegal immigrants are occupying our country without our permission and competing with citizens, poor and otherwise for precious resources intended for citizens. It is offensive to me that illegal aliens are stealing from citizens and legal residents.
Those opposing illegal immigration will never permit a minority to impose acceptance of their illegal alien friends and family just because they have an emotional connection with them. This is still a democracy and I have a strong sense that the majority political oppositon will fight tooth and nail against amnesty for illegal aliens. Hispanic illegal alien supporters who try to bully the rest of us into seeing their point of view will only meet stiff resistance in return. Opposition to benefits and amnesty for illegal aliens grows everyday, even as the ACLU fights uphill against the will of the American people. Though some court rulings have gone against us (we with eventually prevail in the Supreme Court), just the fact that state after state, county after county, and city after city have passed counter measures against illegal immigrants, even symbolic ones, sends a strong message to our congress and the president that most of our citizens want the current laws enforced and the border closed to illegal immigration.
We see illegal immigration as an economic issue and you ignore that in favor of ethnic loyalty. Guess which position an objective person would take.
The birthrights of Latin Americans lie in their homelands, and unless they qualify for legal residency and naturalization under our current laws (and many have already), they will never become legitimate citizens. No way Jose.
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