151 Miles

Many readers have asked about border security, in particular building a fence along our nation’s Southern border. Let me take a moment to update you on where we stand with respect to fence construction and explain how fencing fits into our overall strategy.

Last year, our Department made a commitment to have 145 miles of pedestrian fencing – including 70 miles of new fencing – in place on the Southern border by the end of this fiscal year. Well, the fiscal year ended September 30th. As of today, we have more than 151 miles of fence on the Southern border and 72 miles of new fence, which exceeds our goal. We also have 114 miles of vehicle fencing, with plans to reach 300 miles by the end of next year.

I fully recognize there is widespread cynicism about the federal government’s commitment to border security and immigration enforcement. It is a consequence of nearly 30 years of failing to do what is necessary to address this challenge. As someone who has sworn an oath of office to protect the country and enforce the nation’s laws, I am committed to seeing that our promises are kept and that we restore faith with the American people. Meeting this year’s targets for fence construction is an important step in that direction – and it is just the beginning.

Next year, if Congress supports us with the necessary appropriations, we intend to build an additional 225 miles of pedestrian fence along our Southern border and approximately 200 miles of vehicle fence. This will bring us to almost 700 miles of fence (including 370 miles of pedestrian fence) by the end of 2008.

Contrary to what’s been reported in the media, we haven’t decided where fencing will be built, nor will we make that decision arbitrarily. We will look to the Border Patrol to decide what it considers the highest priority areas based on illegal, cross-border activity and its operational needs. We will also seek input from local communities, including landowners and state and local officials. We’ve already contacted close to 600 landowners and held 18 town hall meetings to move this process forward, and I’ve personally met with community leaders in several states. In addition, we will conduct the necessary engineering assessments and weigh environmental concerns prior to fence construction.

Of course, while fencing remains a critical element of our strategy, it isn’t the only element. The reality is that fencing will never provide a total solution. A fence by itself can be tunneled under or climbed over. Fencing is also expensive to build – up to $3 million per mile – and equally expensive to maintain.

That is why we need a broader strategy at the border that leverages the right tools, technology, and people. This year we’ve increased the size of the Border Patrol to more than 14,900 agents. Next year we’ll have 18,300 agents – effectively doubling the size of the Border Patrol since January 2001. We’ve also deployed unmanned aerial vehicles and ground-based radar. And we’ve deployed the first 28 miles of our SBInet program to add high-tech cameras, sensors, and aerial surveillance to the border to increase our coverage and effectiveness. We expect this SBInet system to be fully activated in the coming weeks.

The bottom line? While we can’t solve a 30 year problem overnight, we are making progress. The fence is being built, we’re meeting our commitments, and we’re going to do even more next year. I look forward to providing you with regular updates.

Michael Chertoff