24 June 2008
Border Fence Stays on Track with Court Refusal to Hear Case
Posted by Roy Bischoff under: What's News .
Court OK’s border fence despite environmental worry
By EILEEN SULLIVAN, Associated Press Writer
Mon Jun 23, 6:29 PM ET
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court said Monday it won’t stand in the way as the U.S. extends its security fence hundreds of miles along the border with Mexico, allowing building to proceed full-speed despite claims that it harms the environment and animals who live in the area.
Given sporadic attention for years, the concept of a border fence took on new life after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which also revived the nation’s heated immigration debate. Intelligence officials have said the holes along the southwest border could provide places for terrorists to enter the country.On Monday, the court declined to hear arguments in a case brought by environmental groups that could have slowed or even halted the multibillion-dollar fence project that stretches from the Pacific surf at Tijuana to the Gulf of Mexico near Brownsville, Texas. Some 331 miles of fencing had been constructed as of June 13, with about as much still to go.
For the rest of the article click here .
For whatever reason the Supreme Court declined to hear the case of the ocelot and jaguarundi. This is done for any number of reasons but essentially not enough justices voted to take the case so the lower court ruling stands, which allows the fence to continue.
Here is a picture of a section of the fence.
Here is a closeup of the fence:
Now a fence is just a fence. It is an increase in border security but to be really effective it must also be watched. Given the failure of the electronic surveillance system, people will have to be used.
One problem I see is that this fence will not stop coyotes from bringing people into the US in trucks. I talked to one man who was from further south than Mexico, I don’t remember offhand what country. He told me he paid $4,000 to a coyote to bring him into the States. He traveled in the back of a crowded semi-truck trailer and was dropped off in Idaho in the dead of winter. Pretty harsh for people who are not used to the cold. This is such a lucrative business that they are easily able to bribe the right people to continue their trade. Our intelligence services need to be put to use to stop this kind of thing.
A border fence must be coupled with the right policies to be truly effective. I think we need to make it much easier to get into the US legally but make life more difficult for the illegals. I speak Spanish and have friends who are Hispanic. Many Hispanics are hard workers and place a high importance on the traditional family. We need to adopt policies that allow lots of good people in but put much more emphasis on enforcement of laws against illegals and start deporting those who would not make good citizens.
10 Comments so far...
Jesse Says:
24 June 2008 at 12:21 am.
Nice blog Roy. Good to see you around speaking up.
Angela Rogin Says:
24 June 2008 at 9:10 am.
I feel sorry for the people coming in except for the criminals. I probably would do the same. But we can’t let it continue because it is going to ruin our economy and the criminals are causing so much damage. It is making racism worse also.
Bryon Says:
24 June 2008 at 9:22 am.
I have heard the argument that illegals can’t afford to become citizens. Why do they spend four thousand or more to get into the country? That is a lot more that it takes to become a citizen. I have Mexican friends and one of my best friends is from South America. Its not about race, people just pretend it is. For better security and more economic stability as well as stopping drug runners we need secure borders.
Benjamin Says:
24 June 2008 at 9:38 am.
Even with legal immigration the figures show our economy will become overburdened in not too many years. Still that is a hard one because we want people who do it right to be able to come. I think the biggest problem is that most of the immigrants aren’t becoming Americans in their heart, they are wanting to extend Mexico here. That will rip our country apart in time.
Pickles Says:
24 June 2008 at 12:08 pm.
They called the National Guard off the border so now we won’t have enough people to watch the fence when it is done. It is all just a farce any way. Bush and McCain and Obama all want the NAU so this is a ploy. They don’t care what the American people want.
T. Fan Says:
24 June 2008 at 12:51 pm.
That’s pretty creepy to dump those poor souls off up in Idaho in the dead of winter. They probably didn’t even have coats. I wonder what they do…where they go. Sometimes they die in those trucks because they pack them in so much.
M.G. Says:
24 June 2008 at 4:27 pm.
I am seeing racism getting a whole lot worse between Mexicans and whites than it use to be. This border tension is creating a huge problem. Then we have these politicians who want to make us one country with Canada and Mexico? It would be like some of the stuff we see happening in other parts of the world with ethnic hatred ripping apart countries that were made by treaties that did not take these things into account.
Tony Says:
24 June 2008 at 10:24 pm.
i like what you said Benjamin about the immigrants not having a change of heart. It is true. if they wanted to become american they would come over the way we have set up.
Cavetrollhead Says:
25 June 2008 at 2:20 am.
Ditto Tony.
Nalvy Says:
26 June 2008 at 9:11 pm.
Well Roy I do agree with you on the pa aout the Coyotes…most of the time they are really ruthless and they only care about the money…most of the time they are more interested in getting money than the welfare o the people they carry. I know those people are illegal but still I feel kinda bad for them.
I was watching a thing on Skinheads (dont ask why) and a lot of them arnow focusing on the “Mexican Problem” but to them are mexicans are illegal. The racism thing is escalating to such extremes that mexicans are being slaughtered whether or not they came here legally.
Fences make good eighbors but they dont always stop your neighbors fom coming over without invitation.
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