Border fence

• Background: Established in 1961
• Debate: No more immigrants v. Bandage policy
• Recent Legislation: 2006 Senate bill

Background

• The border fence is an attempt to tighten homeland security and curb illegal immigration. It is seen as the first step in a much needed comprehensive solution to what is considered a growing problem with illegal immigration.

• President George W. Bush avoided drafting a complex immigration reform plan the last two years of his presidency while the pressure was rising from concerned Americans. Several bipartisan packages died within congress, the latest of which was fervently promoted by President Bush in June 2007. The failure to reform the broken immigration system represents the divisions within both parties, each with a set of competing interests in reform.

Debate

• The Republican party is split between two camps. One camp is pro-business and views foreign labor as a vital part of the American economy. This group successfully lobbied for the immigration bill to include streamlined immigration procedures, 400,000 guest workers per year, and more green cards to high skilled foreigners. The border fence is an attempt by President Bush to appeal to "nativists" (Source: The Economist) who fear that granting amnesty to the 12 million illegal immigrants in the US will only encourage more border-hopping. The failed bill also offers thousands more border agents, an identification card for immigrants and obliges employers to verify the status of their employees (Source: The Economist). Many Democrats supported the construction of the fence also.

• Critics of the fence cite arguments related to the broader immigration debate. Most think the fence is just a bandage.

Recent Legislation

• On 29 September 2006 the Senate passed a bill that calls for a 700 mile fence along the US-Mexico border. President George W. Bush signed the bill into law on October 6, 2006. Congress empowered its construction by passing a separate bill that granted $34.8 billion to "homeland security," including $1.2 billion for the fence, barriers and surveillance systems. (Source: New York Times)