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 Editorials | January 2007 
A Security Fence Along the Mexican Border would have Financial, Environmental Costs
 McClatchy-Tribune
| | The laws of nature - and common sense - cry out for comprehensive immigration reform that goes far beyond a 700-mile symbol of misguided security enforcement. |
The logistical boondoggle of erecting a fence along part of the U.S.-Mexico border now extends to finances and the environment.
Building and maintenance costs could reach nearly $50 billion over 25 years, based on a report by the Congressional Research Service. Fence proponents charge that the figures are grossly inflated. They place the cost of building a double-layer fence at $2.5 billion, citing three contractors.
But that higher estimate should stand up to scrutiny, given that it comes from the public-policy research arm of the U.S. Congress and is generally considered nonpartisan. And its estimates were attributed to a study from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Environmental costs cannot be ignored either. The Endangered Species Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act would be among those breached in the interest of questionable border security.
The Defenders of Wildlife, a nonprofit group, estimates there are 47 endangered species, including the jaguar, the ocelot and the long-nosed bat, living along the border. Environmentalists fear that impenetrable fencing would block migration paths for mountain lions, coyotes, deer and other wildlife.
This fence won't even act as an effective deterrent to illegal immigration. It covers only a third of the U.S.-Mexico border.
The laws of nature - and common sense - cry out for comprehensive immigration reform that goes far beyond a 700-mile symbol of misguided security enforcement. |
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