If you are trying to climb up a wall, and you got the ladder on the wrong wall, whats the point? What has happened to thinking outside the box? Is this is only possible EFFECTIVE solution to the problem of illegal immigration?
$3 million per mile = 150*3 = 450 million plus millions of dollar maintaining it yearly?
I'm sure there is a cost effective and efficient way to solve this problem...
October 1, 2007 6:48 PM
Anonymous said...
What is up with the SINGLE fence. We thought we bought a DOUBLE Fence with road between it. This one will be cut down the day after it goes up. Or blown up.
When will you be giving Boeing a spanking for their lack of getting the tech part online.
October 2, 2007 12:36 PM
Anonymous said...
Walls breed a false sense of security. Political footballs are a waste of time. We know how to solve the problem but no one in power has the political will to do it. Fence talk is nothing but word games.
October 2, 2007 12:55 PM
Anonymous said...
The Border Fence is supposed to be a TWO LAYER FENCE. With a road in the middle for the Border Patrol to drive through. Why aren't you building the recommended Two-Layer Fence as we use in San Diego? It works! Illegal aliens cannot drag a ladder over the first fence.....they have to stop and "Build a ladder" and that's slows them down long enough to get caught! TWO-LAYER FENCES WORK!
Also I really think you should hire MULITPLE contractors to build the fence so the process goes alot faster.
October 2, 2007 8:53 PM
Anonymous said...
I support a double fence being built at our southern border.
Recently I read of a few local towns and cites in Texas that are disputing the border fence, saying it would cause harm to their local commerce. I know that there is no basis in fact to believe such a thing! Border fences in urban areas are a MUST!
The double fence that runs through the city of San Diego, CA. is proof that they do work! It does not slow-down or stop local commerce in any way at all! There are “Border-Crossings” that are manned by the Border Patrol Personnel who check for ID’s and make sure that no terrorists or drug smugglers, criminals or illegal aliens get through. “Border-crossers” with legitimate business are let through to do business and shop. (Both ways)
The Mayors of those Texas towns that are resisting the fence do not have the right to refuse the fence and put the rest of the entire country at great risk! They do not speak for the entire USA. We NEED the fence! We need it for our safety; we need it for our soverengity. We have the right to protect our borders and the majority of American citizens want the fence put up as FAST AS POSSIBLE.
Personally, I suggest the federal government erect the southern border fence as fast as possible to avoid the frivolous lawsuits & protests brought on by small “special interest” groups that absolutely do NOT represent the majority of American citizens.
October 7, 2007 12:55 PM
Anonymous said...
I think the fence is a very good Idea. I worked well in El Paso. A Border Patrol officer was placed every 300 or so yard away and could see the other officer. This way no one could walk in between them. This not only stop the flow of immagrants with out papers to come into the country, it stopped the flow of drugs. Hold the line worked very well their it can work else where.
October 8, 2007 2:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Your report of 151 miles of fencing being completed is disputed by many groups and even Congressman Tancredo's office, which says only 15 miles have actually been constructed.
His office is to call you today about it and I have even called to insure a correction is made.
How can you allow such an error to be made and allow it to remain on your website for days?
We need that fence completed and completed NOW.
October 9, 2007 9:31 AM
Anonymous said...
With the emergency funding just passed by Congress and signed by our President to ADD another 3 Billion dollars to build the fence.........I sure hope you intend to do this quickly!
Please don't drag it on into the next administration!!
October 9, 2007 3:35 PM
Anonymous said...
It is hard toimagine tht at thispoint inhistroy a wall is being built between two countries. RonaldReagan became a hero overnight when he demanded that Gorbachev tear down the wall between East and West Germany: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall!" It is hard to see America do the same thing!
October 14, 2007 4:56 PM
Anonymous said...
I'm all for securing our southern borders however, the approach being described by DHS reminds me of the Maginot Line that the French built in the 30's to protect themselves from the Germans. By all means, construct the Double Fence we keep hearing about but please, get some mobile elements to support a scheme of protection in depth and pound on the busiensses and "cities"" that are still aiding and abetting the invasion. Yes, invasion. A few thousand people crossing our borders every year looking for work and willing to blend in constitute illegal immigration. A couple of million crossing our borders every year, with only half caught, and the rest demanding rights, services, and a voice in our government is an invasion. Keep building.
Please explain the thinking behind this quote regarding how the proposed wall is good for the environment:
"Illegal immigrants really degrade the environment. I've seen pictures of human waste, garbage, discarded bottles and other human artifacts in pristine areas. And believe me, that is the worst thing you can do to the environment."
I find your comments to be -- well -- ridiculous.
October 22, 2007 4:59 PM
Anonymous said...
reply to:
They do not speak for the entire USA.
WE SPEAK FOR THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, WE WERE BORN HERE, WE LIVE HERE, WE WILL GROW OLD HERE, AND WE PROBABLY DIE HERE.
The Border people do not have fancy computers to be blogging like you all city people, BUT WE STICK TOGETHER AND WE DO NOT WANT A BORDER WALL.
October 23, 2007 2:50 AM
Anonymous said...
The anti-security communities along the border do not speak for the rest of the United States!
Yes, we certainly DO want a physical border fence! It is not up to those FEW areas to determine the safety (or lack there of) for the rest of the country!
October 31, 2007 7:15 PM
Anonymous said...
Anybody that lives near a so-called "migrant" camp knows all the trash and eviromental damage illegal aliens living in our canyons does! Nothing but trash; human waste and garbage all around. Lots of plant life squashed down flat....they start wild fires with their illegal campfires, etc. A good tall; strong Fence would help stop the flow of illegals through any area that it is built. Stop the flow of illegals and stop all the trash and destruction at the same time!
October 31, 2007 7:23 PM
Anonymous said...
A wall certainly will not stop the flow of illegal immigrants. Have any of you even seen the border?! I for one certainly don't want my tax dollars going to the physical manifestation of racism. Has anyone even done research on the real effect immigrants have on our economy. I'll tell ya something- they put in more than they take out. Last but not least shouldn't the real fight be against the corporations and companies exploiting cheap labor and not these people who are having their homeland raped by NAFTA. Its our greed that is driving them here, can you really blame and do they really deserve to die? What would you do?
November 8, 2007 11:22 AM
Anonymous said...
OH yes. I support a border fence. They should make it triple layered.
The fence should be built. It is a legitmate use to deter illegal immigration, human smuggling, drugs, and other crimes. As I remember at least part of the Northern border is also supposed to get fenced. The borders allow criminals to escape justice by going to another country in the hopes of hiding in the general population or fighting extradition.
One anonymous poster states "I for one certainly don't want my tax dollars going to the physical manifestation of racism." I can only wonder how they come to this conclusion since other then Mexico nationals do cross the border in the south, and other then Canadian nationals cross in the north. Many of us do not want our tax dollars going to support those illegally in this country.
That same poster goes on to say "Has anyone even done research on the real effect immigrants have on our economy. I'll tell ya something- they put in more than they take out."
A statement which switched the discussion from illegal immigration to immigration. Two different things. Yes, studies have been done on the cost of illegal immigration, they "prove" both sides of the issues, as studies on unknowns have a way of doing.
Then the poster states "Last but not least shouldn't the real fight be against the corporations and companies exploiting cheap labor and not these people who are having their homeland raped by NAFTA. Its our greed that is driving them here, can you really blame and do they really deserve to die? What would you do?"
At least in the case of Mexico, the origin of the majority of illegal aliens, they are not dieing. Please check the actual facts. On top of that most that come here actually have jobs in Mexico, according to the President of Mexico.
Agreed, NAFTA is bad, its surprising that both poltical parties in this country continue to support treaties such as NAFTA, while citizens tend to not support them. Apparently they can get away with it.
Corporations and other enablers are at fault, including EEOC, ACLU and various other groups that support them because of political agendas. The hope is that the fence will cut down on illegal immigration enough, that the problem can be stopped before these groups get a chance to contribute to the problem.
E-Verify would certainly help with the employers being able to verify that they are legal for work. Something that is difficult to do now, especially since groups like EEOC, ACLU, and labor unions have contributed to making it difficult for employers to check the immigration status of 'protected minorities'.
December 7, 2007 1:50 PM
[Photo]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.
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.
17 Comments
Close this window Jump to comment formhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_wall
If you are trying to climb up a wall, and you got the ladder on the wrong wall, whats the point? What has happened to thinking outside the box? Is this is only possible EFFECTIVE solution to the problem of illegal immigration?
$3 million per mile = 150*3 = 450 million plus millions of dollar maintaining it yearly?
I'm sure there is a cost effective and efficient way to solve this problem...
October 1, 2007 6:48 PM
What is up with the SINGLE fence. We thought we bought a DOUBLE Fence with road between it. This one will be cut down the day after it goes up. Or blown up.
When will you be giving Boeing a spanking for their lack of getting the tech part online.
October 2, 2007 12:36 PM
Walls breed a false sense of security. Political footballs are a waste of time. We know how to solve the problem but no one in power has the political will to do it. Fence talk is nothing but word games.
October 2, 2007 12:55 PM
The Border Fence is supposed to be a TWO LAYER FENCE. With a road in the middle for the Border Patrol to drive through.
Why aren't you building the recommended Two-Layer Fence as we use in San Diego? It works! Illegal aliens cannot drag a ladder over the first fence.....they have to stop and "Build a ladder" and that's slows them down long enough to get caught! TWO-LAYER FENCES WORK!
Also I really think you should hire MULITPLE contractors to build the fence so the process goes alot faster.
October 2, 2007 8:53 PM
I support a double fence being built at our southern border.
Recently I read of a few local towns and cites in Texas that are disputing the border fence, saying it would cause harm to their local commerce. I know that there is no basis in fact to believe such a thing! Border fences in urban areas are a MUST!
The double fence that runs through the city of San Diego, CA. is proof that they do work! It does not slow-down or stop local commerce in any way at all! There are “Border-Crossings” that are manned by the Border Patrol Personnel who check for ID’s and make sure that no terrorists or drug smugglers, criminals or illegal aliens get through. “Border-crossers” with legitimate business are let through to do business and shop. (Both ways)
The Mayors of those Texas towns that are resisting the fence do not have the right to refuse the fence and put the rest of the entire country at great risk! They do not speak for the entire USA. We NEED the fence!
We need it for our safety; we need it for our soverengity. We have the right to protect our borders and the majority of American citizens want the fence put up as FAST AS POSSIBLE.
Personally, I suggest the federal government erect the southern border fence as fast as possible to avoid the frivolous lawsuits & protests brought on by small “special interest” groups that absolutely do NOT represent the majority of American citizens.
October 7, 2007 12:55 PM
I think the fence is a very good Idea. I worked well in El Paso. A Border Patrol officer was placed every 300 or so yard away and could see the other officer. This way no one could walk in between them. This not only stop the flow of immagrants with out papers to come into the country, it stopped the flow of drugs. Hold the line worked very well their it can work else where.
October 8, 2007 2:42 PM
Your report of 151 miles of fencing being completed is disputed by many groups and even Congressman Tancredo's office, which says only 15 miles have actually been constructed.
His office is to call you today about it and I have even called to insure a correction is made.
How can you allow such an error to be made and allow it to remain on your website for days?
We need that fence completed and completed NOW.
October 9, 2007 9:31 AM
With the emergency funding just passed by Congress and signed by our President to ADD another 3 Billion dollars to build the fence.........I sure hope you intend to do this quickly!
Please don't drag it on into the next administration!!
October 9, 2007 3:35 PM
It is hard toimagine tht at thispoint inhistroy a wall is being built between two countries. RonaldReagan became a hero overnight when he demanded that Gorbachev tear down the wall between East and West Germany: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall!" It is hard to see America do the same thing!
October 14, 2007 4:56 PM
I'm all for securing our southern borders however, the approach being described by DHS reminds me of the Maginot Line that the French built in the 30's to protect themselves from the Germans. By all means, construct the Double Fence we keep hearing about but please, get some mobile elements to support a scheme of protection in depth and pound on the busiensses and "cities"" that are still aiding and abetting the invasion. Yes, invasion. A few thousand people crossing our borders every year looking for work and willing to blend in constitute illegal immigration. A couple of million crossing our borders every year, with only half caught, and the rest demanding rights, services, and a voice in our government is an invasion. Keep building.
October 21, 2007 5:46 PM
Dear Mr. Chertoff,
Please explain the thinking behind this quote regarding how the proposed wall is good for the environment:
"Illegal immigrants really degrade the environment. I've seen pictures of human waste, garbage, discarded bottles and other human artifacts in pristine areas. And believe me, that is the worst thing you can do to the environment."
I find your comments to be -- well -- ridiculous.
October 22, 2007 4:59 PM
reply to:
They do not speak for the entire USA.
WE SPEAK FOR THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, WE WERE BORN HERE, WE LIVE HERE, WE WILL GROW OLD HERE, AND WE PROBABLY DIE HERE.
The Border people do not have fancy computers to be blogging like you all city people, BUT WE STICK TOGETHER AND WE DO NOT WANT A BORDER WALL.
October 23, 2007 2:50 AM
The anti-security communities along the border do not speak for the rest of the United States!
Yes, we certainly DO want a physical border fence! It is not up to those FEW areas to determine the safety (or lack there of) for the rest of the country!
October 31, 2007 7:15 PM
Anybody that lives near a so-called "migrant" camp knows all the trash and eviromental damage illegal aliens living in our canyons does! Nothing but trash; human waste and garbage all around. Lots of plant life squashed down flat....they start wild fires with their illegal campfires, etc.
A good tall; strong Fence would help stop the flow of illegals through any area that it is built. Stop the flow of illegals and stop all the trash and destruction at the same time!
October 31, 2007 7:23 PM
A wall certainly will not stop the flow of illegal immigrants. Have any of you even seen the border?! I for one certainly don't want my tax dollars going to the physical manifestation of racism. Has anyone even done research on the real effect immigrants have on our economy. I'll tell ya something- they put in more than they take out. Last but not least shouldn't the real fight be against the corporations and companies exploiting cheap labor and not these people who are having their homeland raped by NAFTA. Its our greed that is driving them here, can you really blame and do they really deserve to die? What would you do?
November 8, 2007 11:22 AM
OH yes. I support a border fence. They should make it triple layered.
November 8, 2007 11:28 AM
The fence should be built. It is a legitmate use to deter illegal immigration, human smuggling, drugs, and other crimes. As I remember at least part of the Northern border is also supposed to get fenced. The borders allow criminals to escape justice by going to another country in the hopes of hiding in the general population or fighting extradition.
One anonymous poster states "I for one certainly don't want my tax dollars going to the physical manifestation of racism." I can only wonder how they come to this conclusion since other then Mexico nationals do cross the border in the south, and other then Canadian nationals cross in the north. Many of us do not want our tax dollars going to support those illegally in this country.
That same poster goes on to say "Has anyone even done research on the real effect immigrants have on our economy. I'll tell ya something- they put in more than they take out."
A statement which switched the discussion from illegal immigration to immigration. Two different things. Yes, studies have been done on the cost of illegal immigration, they "prove" both sides of the issues, as studies on unknowns have a way of doing.
Then the poster states "Last but not least shouldn't the real fight be against the corporations and companies exploiting cheap labor and not these people who are having their homeland raped by NAFTA. Its our greed that is driving them here, can you really blame and do they really deserve to die? What would you do?"
At least in the case of Mexico, the origin of the majority of illegal aliens, they are not dieing. Please check the actual facts. On top of that most that come here actually have jobs in Mexico, according to the President of Mexico.
Agreed, NAFTA is bad, its surprising that both poltical parties in this country continue to support treaties such as NAFTA, while citizens tend to not support them. Apparently they can get away with it.
Corporations and other enablers are at fault, including EEOC, ACLU and various other groups that support them because of political agendas. The hope is that the fence will cut down on illegal immigration enough, that the problem can be stopped before these groups get a chance to contribute to the problem.
E-Verify would certainly help with the employers being able to verify that they are legal for work. Something that is difficult to do now, especially since groups like EEOC, ACLU, and labor unions have contributed to making it difficult for employers to check the immigration status of 'protected minorities'.
December 7, 2007 1:50 PM