Border Fence Looms Over Texas Town

Nearly two years after President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act into law, American citizens are split virtually down the middle about building a fence along the U.S.-Mexican border. At present, just over half of Americans support the high-tech fence that would divide the United States from Mexico.

Most border towns are wary of the fence, concerned that it will be an ineffective eyesore.

One exception is the West Texas city of Del Rio.

Because the wall would be built far from the urban center of Del Rio, the town’s residents are not concerned that it will interfere with their quality of life. Efrain Valdez, the mayor of Del Rio, stated, “There's nothing here. So if you put a fence here, it really doesn't bother us."

Reports show that in areas where the 15-foot wall has been constructed, illegal entry into the United States has dropped significantly. “This wall works,” stated U.S. border patrol agent Michael Bernacke,  “A lot of people have the misconception that it is a waste of time and money, but the numbers of apprehensions show that it works.”

However, the wall is incomplete in many places and construction has fallen behind schedule. Tunnels have been discovered below the wall and migrants have found increasingly innovative ways of crossing the reinforced border.

"You can build three or four fences along the border, but people will continue to cross because of the magnet of work," said one successful people-smuggler who operates out of Tijuana.

Even if the wall does successfully keep illegal entry at bay, many question whether its cost will ultimately outweigh its benefits. After figuring in the construction and maintenance of the wall, financial analysts put its price tag in excess of $50 billion.

The mid-sized West Texas city of Del Rio voted last month to sell 70 acres of its land to the Department of Homeland Security to build a 15-foot steel fence along the Mexican border. Most Texas border towns are opposed to the fence, but this section doesn’t encroach upon any of Del Rio’s urban or suburban areas. In fact, the wall has helped improve the city’s economy; Del Rio will use proceeds from the land sale to build a much-needed parking garage.

In April, a border protection agent responsible for guarding the border between San Luis, Mexico, and Yuma, Arizona, stated that illegal migrant apprehensions have declined by 72 percent since the fence was constructed. Before the border was built, agents daily caught more than 800 people attempting to cross to the United States. Since the fence was erected, the number has dropped to about 50 people per day. However, only a small section of the fence will have the triple-layer structure as Yuma’s.

A CBS News report indicated that the high price of the border and the inefficiency of its building may not ultimately compensate for the drop in illegal crossings: “Only 670 miles of the 2,000-mile border are to get fencing and that’s behind schedule. The price tag: $1.2 billion … But factor in lifetime maintenance and congressional researchers say the price could top $50 billion.”

By signing the Secure Fence Act into law in 2006, President Bush promised to “modernize” the U.S. border with Mexico by establishing “remote cameras, satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles” to patrol the area. Members of Congress questioned the potential effectiveness of a border fence. 

The officia Web site of the White House outlines the purpose of the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which authorized President Bush to begin building the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows that Americans are virtually split down the middle on whether the government should complete building a border fence with Mexico: “Just over half of Americans nationwide favor building the 700-mile long fence, while 47 percent oppose the idea.”

For more information on policies and news concerning U.S. Immigration, see findingDulcinea’s U.S. Immigration Web Guide.