The nearly 2000 miles international border between Mexico and the United States runs through four states—California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, with the west end--San Diego, California and the east end—Brownsville, Texas. Texas has the longest stretch of the border of any State, while California has the shortest. The region along the boundary is characterized by deserts, rugged mountains, urban cities, and two major rivers—the Colorado and the Rio Grand.
On October 26, 2006, with the stroke of a pen, President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act, authorizing the construction of 700 miles additional fencing along the Southern border. According to President’s announcement, it is an important step forward in the nation’s efforts to control the borders and reform the immigration system. One of Bush’s most encouraging words is “We're a nation of laws, and we must enforce our laws. We're also a nation of immigrants, and we must uphold that tradition, which has strengthened our country in so many ways.”
With the hope of strengthening safety of the border and controlling illegal immigration, the Secure Fence Act has caused a wide debate.
The proponents of the bill believe that the bill will benefit the United States in a lot of ways. They point out that most American citizens currently want less immigration, not more. The legal immigration is already too high. The border enforcement will be effective in controlling illegal immigration, and as a result, be helpful in controlling the whole immigration. They also emphasize that the United States should be careful who they let in on a temporary basis, and build a national database of employment so that every native or foreign employee can be tracked down. On the way towards this aim, the pass of the bill is an important step. Moreover, supporters of the bill take the barriers as an important way of tapering the transportation of illegal drugs manufactured in Latin America.
However, the proponents of open-border policies hold different ideas. They believe some of the illegal immigrants have been providing considerable contributions to the development of the United States. For example, agricultural work is one of the many types of work that illegal immigrants fill and could not be easily filled by United States citizens. Laredo’s Mayor, Raul G. Salinas says the illegal immigrants are “that are sustaining our economy by forty percent, and I am gonna close the door on them and put a wall? You don’t do that. It’s like a slap in the face.”
In addition, some experts on immigration polices point out that the efforts to curtail illegal immigration by means of border fence has done nothing but redirect the migration flows into the most desolate and desert areas of the border, thus increasing the mortality rate of illegal immigrants. Moreover, while failing in inhibiting illegal immigration, the fence prevents the migrants from returning.
Finally, there is also opposite voice from the neighbor country—Mexico that has complained the expanded fences along their shared border would damage the environment and hard wildlife.
Billions of dollars have been spent out in the border enforcement program. Some believe we actually haven’t solved the problem and there is no need to stay the course that is not working, while others think the pass of the bill is a vital step forward in the immigration reforming program. The debate on the issue of border fence is ongoing and may never stop. The government’s policy on this issue keeps changing periodically depending on both the result of the debate and the real national and international conditions.
Source URL:
United Sates-Mexico Border
On October 26, 2006, with the stroke of a pen, President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act, authorizing the construction of 700 miles additional fencing along the Southern border. According to President’s announcement, it is an important step forward in the nation’s efforts to control the borders and reform the immigration system. One of Bush’s most encouraging words is “We're a nation of laws, and we must enforce our laws. We're also a nation of immigrants, and we must uphold that tradition, which has strengthened our country in so many ways.”
With the hope of strengthening safety of the border and controlling illegal immigration, the Secure Fence Act has caused a wide debate.
The proponents of the bill believe that the bill will benefit the United States in a lot of ways. They point out that most American citizens currently want less immigration, not more. The legal immigration is already too high. The border enforcement will be effective in controlling illegal immigration, and as a result, be helpful in controlling the whole immigration. They also emphasize that the United States should be careful who they let in on a temporary basis, and build a national database of employment so that every native or foreign employee can be tracked down. On the way towards this aim, the pass of the bill is an important step. Moreover, supporters of the bill take the barriers as an important way of tapering the transportation of illegal drugs manufactured in Latin America.
However, the proponents of open-border policies hold different ideas. They believe some of the illegal immigrants have been providing considerable contributions to the development of the United States. For example, agricultural work is one of the many types of work that illegal immigrants fill and could not be easily filled by United States citizens. Laredo’s Mayor, Raul G. Salinas says the illegal immigrants are “that are sustaining our economy by forty percent, and I am gonna close the door on them and put a wall? You don’t do that. It’s like a slap in the face.”
In addition, some experts on immigration polices point out that the efforts to curtail illegal immigration by means of border fence has done nothing but redirect the migration flows into the most desolate and desert areas of the border, thus increasing the mortality rate of illegal immigrants. Moreover, while failing in inhibiting illegal immigration, the fence prevents the migrants from returning.
Finally, there is also opposite voice from the neighbor country—Mexico that has complained the expanded fences along their shared border would damage the environment and hard wildlife.
Billions of dollars have been spent out in the border enforcement program. Some believe we actually haven’t solved the problem and there is no need to stay the course that is not working, while others think the pass of the bill is a vital step forward in the immigration reforming program. The debate on the issue of border fence is ongoing and may never stop. The government’s policy on this issue keeps changing periodically depending on both the result of the debate and the real national and international conditions.
Source URL:
United Sates-Mexico Border
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States%E2%80%93Mexico_border
United States-Mexico Barrier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States%E2%80%93Mexico_barrier
United States-Mexico Barrier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States%E2%80%93Mexico_barrier
The Secure Fence Act of 2006
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/10/20061026-1.html
Student Voices
http://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/voices/200610/1016nat0.htm
Experts’ Debate
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec06/immigration_10-26.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/10/20061026-1.html
Student Voices
http://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/voices/200610/1016nat0.htm
Experts’ Debate
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec06/immigration_10-26.html
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