What You Don't Know About the U.S./Mexico Border Fence

Putting a big fence between Mexico and the southern border of the United States to stop illegal immigration (and ideally put a dent in terrorist movements) makes sense to a lot of people -- and a lot of politicians. Both Obama and McCain voted for the Secure Fence Act back in 2006.

But there's the idea of an infallible border to keep out the bad guys and let in the good guys...and then there's reality.

Turns out the fence -- which will cover less than half of the actual border -- inexplicably cuts through the middle of some properties, while leaving others untouched. Many question if it can keep people from sneaking in at all.

There are also questions as to whether certain landowners are getting preferential treatment, and how the billions being given to private contractors, such as Boeing, are being spent.

NOW on PBS just investigated this issue. In the report, Senior Correspondent Maria Hinojosa traveled to Texas to meet some very upset American landowners, some of whom found out their property will fall on the Mexico side of the fence!

Is the border fence the ultimate solution or an utter waste?

Joel Schwartzberg is Director of New Media, NOW on PBS

Follow Joel B. Schwartzberg on Twitter: www.twitter.com/now_on_pbs

Comments

[Sundialsvc4]

Ahem, according to a recent signing-statement by the unitary executive ... ;-) ... all that really matters is that "private contractors like Boeing get billion-dollar contracts."

Remember, that's what the United States Government is for: to invent more than $1 million a minute by borrowing it from thin air, and to divert billions of those dollars into the hands of politically well-connected contractors and thus into the hands of the well-connected politicians who (in many cases) own them.

It doesn't matter how much fence gets built. It doesn't matter if it "works" or not. (It won't.) The only thing that matters is the "do-re-mi" for the folks who can get it.

Dwight D. Eisenhower nailed it when he coined that word, "military industrial complex," and called it a terrible threat to the future of the Republic. It's something that, "in the name of national security" (always... "who can possibly object to 'Keeping America Safe?(TM)" ...) would actually jeopardize the security and the standing of that nation. And so it has.

[gage]

Yes, What almost no one outside of Texas seems to realize is that in Texas, because of the Rio Grande and the floodplain, and the IWBC treaty, the fence will be built well north of the actual border. We'll be de facto ceding quite a bit of territory to the Mexico side of the fence.

[wilburr0g]

Ceding a few acres to Mexico is better than being invaded and losing the whole country. Build the fence, PRONTO!