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 Editorials | Opinions | February 2008 
Destructive, Costly Fence Won't Solve Immigration Problems
 Diane W. Mufson - The Herald-Dispatch
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 |  | The United States government has proposed building a humongous fence to keep out illegal immigrants coming via Mexico. But people in Eagle Pass, Texas, ironically located in Maverick County, dislike that idea. |  | | | |
"Where Yee-Hah meets Ol" is the motto of Eagle Pass, Texas. It wasn't just the community's motto that caught my eye in a recent Associated Press news story, but rather the subject of the article, which dealt with the proposed 700-mile fence to be built between the United States and Mexico.
Illegal immigration from Mexico has been a high-profile topic for years. Most Americans agree the problem must be addressed and controlled.
But information from Americans living on the border and anticipated financial expenses in building the fence illustrate that extensive fence-building is not the answer to our country's problem with illegal immigration from south of the border.
A few months ago, I had a chance to talk with residents of McAllen, Texas, which borders Reynosa, Mexico. They explained that the proposed fence would not solve the immigration problem, but rather cause economic distress on both sides of the border.
According to the Internet, Eagle Pass, McAllen and four other communities comprise six bi-national metropolitan areas along the United States-Mexican border. (If they can do it, maybe as state Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, advocates, some West Virginia communities could become metropolitan districts).
The United States government has proposed building a humongous fence to keep out illegal immigrants coming via Mexico. But people in Eagle Pass, ironically located in Maverick County, dislike that idea. The headline of the article discussing their views read, "Town unified against divisive border fence."
Border metro areas, such as the Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras, have commerce, family and friends on both sides of the boundary. According to the Eagle Pass mayor, while border security is a major concern, the relationship between his community and the one across the Rio Grande remains close.
Eagle Pass residents dispute the need for a fence that would cut up potential riverfront housing and cut through a park, a golf course and an 1849 historic fort. This community also is complaining about "threatening letters, lawsuits and swift legal judgments" from federal government fence advocates.
Most Americans recognize that this country needs a sensible immigration policy. Even Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., known to have very different political views, voted to send the fence construction measure to the full Senate.
The border between Mexico and the United States is close to 2,000 miles. The proposed fence is about 700 miles, and the potential cost of such a barrier is astronomic. A National Public Radio report in 2006 noted that the 14-mile fence between San Diego, Calif., and Tijuana, Mexico, under construction since 1993, has cost about $39 million so far and needs almost the same amount for completion. And those 14 miles are a tiny percentage of the whole enchilada.
Building a 700-mile concrete or wire barrier between our country and Mexico has significant potential negative aspects, including disruption of ongoing international commerce and astronomical costs.
There is no doubt our nation needs a coherent policy to address legal and illegal immigration. But an expensive, massive, fat fence that cuts through established border communities isn't the answer.
Diane W. Mufson is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Huntington. She is a former citizen member of the Herald-Dispatch editorial board and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page. Her email is dwmufson(at)comcast.net. |
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