Researcher Published by CQ Press, a division of SAGE Publications CQ www.cqresearcher.com America’s Border Fence Will it stem the flow of illegal immigrants? merica is rushing to build 670 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexican border by the end of the year. The fence — or wall, as critics along the border call it — is to include 370 miles of fencing intendedA to stop illegal immigrants on foot and 300 miles of vehicle barriers. To speed construction, the Bush administration is using unprecedented authority granted by Congress to waive environ- mental-, historic- and cultural-protection laws. No one claims that building physical barriers along roughly a third of America’s 2,000- mile Southern border will stem illegal immigration by itself, but U.S. Army personnel install sections of the fence near supporters believe it is an essential first step in “securing the Puerto Palomas, Mexico. U.S. officials expect to complete 670 miles of pedestrian and border,” providing a critical line of defense against illegal migration, vehicle barriers by year’s end. drug smugglers and even terrorists. Opponents see it as a multi- I billion-dollar waste that will only shift illegal immigrants toward N THIS REPORT more dangerous and difficult routes into the country, while doing S THE ISSUES ......................747 environmental, cultural and economic damage. I BACKGROUND ..................754 D CHRONOLOGY ..................755 E CURRENT SITUATION ..........760 CQ Researcher • Sept. 19, 2008 • www.cqresearcher.com AT ISSUE ..........................761 Volume 18, Number 32 • Pages 745-768 OUTLOOK ........................763 RECIPIENT OF SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE N AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION SILVER GAVEL AWARD BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................766 THE NEXT STEP ................767 AMERICA’S BORDER FENCE CQ Researcher Sept. 19, 2008 THE ISSUES SIDEBARS AND GRAPHICS Volume 18, Number 32 MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas J. Colin • Can a border fence stop Border Fence Affects Four [email protected] 747 illegal immigrants? 748 States ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR: Kathy Koch • Would blocking all illegal The fence will span 670 miles. [email protected] immigrants hurt or benefit the U.S. economy? 749 Undocumented Population ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Kenneth Jost • Does the fence harm Rose STAFF WRITERS: Thomas J. Billitteri, U.S. relations with Mexico? Illegal immigration increased Marcia Clemmitt, Peter Katel by 33 percent. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Rachel S. Cox, BACKGROUND Sarah Glazer, Alan Greenblatt, Does the Border Fence Barbara Mantel, Patrick Marshall, Building Walls 750 Deter Would-be Terrorists? Tom Price, Jennifer Weeks 754 Some say terrorists would Most walls have been built DESIGN/PRODUCTION EDITOR: Olu B. Davis to keep foreigners out. avoid the Southern border. ASSISTANT EDITOR: Darrell Dela Rosa Arrests Shift Dramatically Bracero Program FACT-CHECKER/PROOFREADER: Eugene J. Gabler 757 752 After Fence Upgrades The United States welcomes Apprehensions fell in San EDITORIAL INTERNS: Alexis Irvin, Vyomika Jairam Mexicans during labor short- Diego but rose in Tucson. ages and then deports them. Chronology ‘Tortilla Curtain’ Rises 755 Key events since 1882. 758 The first border wall was A Division of a chain-link fence in 1978. Border-town Life Becomes SAGE Publications 756 More Difficult Facing the Fence Cross-border exchanges are PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER: 759 Women and children begin disrupted. John A. Jenkins crossing the border. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Critics Say Fence Disrupts REFERENCE INFORMATION GROUP: 758 Wildlife Migration Alix B. Vance Lawsuits have been filed. CURRENT SITUATION DIRECTOR, ONLINE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: Jennifer Q. Ryan Local Blowback At Issue 760 Local resistance to the 761 Is a border fence the answer Copyright © 2008 CQ Press, a division of SAGE Pub- fence is growing. to the illegal immigration lications. SAGE reserves all copyright and other rights problem? herein, unless previously specified in writing. No part Legal Challenges of this publication may be reproduced electronical- 762 ly or otherwise, without prior written permission. Un- Activists challenge the FOR FURTHER RESEARCH authorized reproduction or transmission of SAGE copy- waiving of environmental- righted material is a violation of federal law carrying protection laws. For More Information civil fines of up to $100,000. 765 Organizations to contact. Straddling the Fence CQ Press is a registered trademark of Congressional 762 The presidential candidates 766 Bibliography Quarterly Inc. have straddled the issue. Selected sources used. CQ Researcher (ISSN 1056-2036) is printed on acid- free paper. Published weekly, except; (March wk. 4) The Next Step (May wk. 3) (July wk. 1) (July wk. 2) (Aug. wk. 2) 767 Additional articles. OUTLOOK (Aug. wk. 3) (Nov. wk. 4) and (Dec. wk. 4), by CQ Press, a division of SAGE Publications. Annual full- Citing CQ Researcher service subscriptions start at $803. For pricing, call 1- Demographic Solution 767 Sample bibliography formats. 763 Falling Mexican birth rates 800-834-9020, ext. 1906. To purchase a CQ Researcher could affect the U.S. report in print or electronic format (PDF), visit www. cqpress.com or call 866-427-7737. Single reports start at $15. Bulk purchase discounts and electronic-rights licensing are also available. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. Cover: AFP/Getty Images/Guadalupe Williams POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CQ Research- er, 2300 N St., N.W., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20037. 746 CQ Researcher America’s Border Fence BY REED KARAIM cent opposing it. But only 44 percent believe it will make THE ISSUES a difference, while 55 percent n the arid landscape near do not. 1 Naco, Ariz., America’s That sentiment may part- I new border fence already ly reflect skepticism about looks timeworn. A rusted the effectiveness of the ef- brown the color of the dis- fort. The “fence” is really a tant Huachuca Mountains, melange of barriers — built spray-painted here and there along several different stretch- with directions for mainte- es of the border — designed nance crews, it snakes up to hamper immigrants cross- and down rugged hills, dis- ing illegally on foot and in appearing into the distance. vehicles. Some of the earli- Besides its length, the most est portions are solid metal, surprising thing about the consisting of corrugated steel fence is how unimpressive it once used in Vietnam-era air- appears. Our nation’s highly craft landing mats. More re- publicized first line of de- cent sections are often made fense against illegal entry, of wire mesh reinforced by now being built up and down concrete-filled poles or taller the U.S.-Mexican border, concrete-filled poles planted looks in some places like six inches apart. The height something that might guard ranges from 12 to 18 feet. a construction site. Vehicle barriers are lower But to Border Patrol AFP/Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla and often resemble the Agent Mike Scioli the fence The fence blocks illegal border crossings near Ciudad crossed metal defenses erect- Juarez (right side of fence) and El Paso, Texas. The marks a new day. “It’s a planned 670-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border ed by the Germans on the huge improvement,” he said includes a mix of pedestrian and vehicle barriers. beaches of Normandy dur- recently, while showing a re- Supporters call the fence a vital first step in securing the ing World War II. porter the 14-foot-high fenc- U.S. border; opponents say it is a waste of money that The longest continuous ing near Naco and the ac- threatens wildlife and forces undocumented immigrants segment is 22.5 miles, ac- to take more dangerous desert routes into the U.S. companying new roads, lights cording to Barry Morrissey, and other improvements. “It makes a driveway. “It’s the perfect govern- a Bureau of Customs and Border Pro- huge difference in our ability to do ment project.” tection (CBP) spokesman. The United our job. It changes the game.” The 670 miles of barriers the gov- States had constructed 338 miles of A few miles away, Bill Odle, a re- ernment plans to have in place along fencing as of Aug. 13, 2008. 2 Home- tired Marine whose house sits only a the U.S.-Mexican border by the end land Security Secretary Michael Chertoff hundred yards or so from a stretch of of the year does more than separate has said 670 miles will be in place by fence erected last fall, views the fence two nations: It sharply divides U.S. the end of 2008 — stretching across quite differently. Odle has lived on the opinion about how we should ap- about one-third of the 1,950-mile-long border since 1997 and is familiar with proach illegal immigration and border U.S.-Mexican border. Roughly 370 the evidence and even the sight of il- security. That division becomes evi- miles of the fence will be designed to legal immigrants stealing across. He dent even in what the barricade is stop pedestrians and 300 miles of it regularly picks up the trash they leave called. The government and support- to stop vehicular traffic. 3 At least 28 behind and fixes livestock fences ers of the structure call it a “fence”; miles of the fence will consist of high- they’ve damaged. But it’s the border opponents disparagingly call it a “wall.” tech sensors and cameras that will cre- fence itself that raises his ire. A March 2008 Associated Press poll ate a “virtual fence” in parts of the “It’s ugly. It doesn’t work. It costs found Americans almost evenly split Arizona desert. However, Homeland too much,” Odle said, contemplat- over the Secure Border Initiative, with Security recently sent that project back ing the steel-mesh barrier from his 49 percent favoring the fence and 48 per- to the drawing board after the initial Available online: www.cqresearcher.com Sept.