President Bush touted his renewed push for comprehensive immigration reform during a photo op earlier this week in Yuma, Ariz., on the border with Mexico. Notably missing from the president’s plan is mention of the Secure Fencing Act of 2006 that required construction of a fence to secure the most critical 700 miles of the nearly 2,000-mile U.S. border with Mexico. The White House talks up using advanced technology to guard the border, but administration aides in recent background briefings for journalists suggested building only about 370 miles of steel fencing.
It’s unfortunate that the border fence is caught up in the immigration debate. The fundamental justification for the fence is stopping millions of illegals coming into this country from Mexico and ensuring to the maximum degree possible that the U.S. controls who enters its territory. In an era defined by Sept. 11 and the global war on terrorism, the fence is a key part of an overall program to secure America’s borders against terrorists seeking to wreak death and destruction within our homeland.
It must be noted that Bush is not alone in deserving criticism on the fence issue. The 2006 law approved by Congress contained more than enough loopholes to make construction of the full 700 miles of fence anything but definite. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that construction would cost about $2.5 billion, but Congress only authorized $1.2 billion, or enough for the 370 miles now being talked up by the White House. In addition, the law included provisions allowing the Department of Homeland Security to divert the fence funding to other programs. A porous border that endangers the nation is not a proper legacy for the president who so forcefully led the nation in the aftermath of Sept. 11.
