Frist Goes On Offense On Border Fence
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has gone on offense on the "fence only" border control bill that he has brought to the Senate floor. He's making sure that the word is getting out on the bill and why he thinks it needs to be passed.
Under the legislation I'm supporting, CBP would take responsibility for securing every inch of our border with Mexico. Over several years, engineers and construction workers would erect two-layer reinforced fencing along our border while installing hundreds of new cameras and sensors. New unmanned aerial vehicles would supplement existing air and ground patrols. All in all, I'm convinced that the finished network would give us the protection we need to achieve what immigration law enforcers call “operational control” over the entire border. Both the House and the Senate have come to a fundamental agreement on these steps in legislation they've already passed. Now, we just need a final agreement between the two chambers.
There's no doubt that physical barriers can make a real difference. When Congress mandated the construction of a 14-mile fence in San Diego, a drastic downturn occurred in illegal immigration. While law enforcement apprehended 200,000 border violators near San Diego during 1992, the number dropped to 9,000 last year. Since other areas remained unsecure, however, illegal immigrants have continued to come to San Diego.
Frist pulled a legislative maneuver on Monday to get this to the floor for a vote. He's really put a lot of people in a tough spot here. If they vote this down, they will be vulnerable to some very big repercussions. A huge majority of Americans want that border closed. Yesterday. This might be amusing to watch.
Immigration Reform | Gaius Wednesday, 20 September , 2006
By Black Jack, Wednesday, 20 September , 2006 @ 6:44 pm
Curious, the folks who oppose a fence along the southern border are usually the same ones who oppose a requirement potential voters show positive ID. These people fail to understand the times we live in and the measures we must take to protect the common good.
As a nation of immigrants, we stand at a crossroads. Modern transportation has made it possible for our enemies to invade our homeland in the same way traditional migrants have moved here from our neighbor to the south. While we are grateful for the many contributions make by Mexicans, we must not confuse illegal immigration with terrorist invasion.
We will either control our southern border or we will cease to be capable of protecting our homeland from terrorist attacks. It’s that simple.