Americas Barriers

Americas Barrier
Soon after the 9/11 attacks, homeland security was again thrust into the spotlight. Many ideas were tossed around during the next few years on what could be done to help secure the nation. As a result, one of the most controversial political issues of today is that of illegal immigrants from Mexico.  Illegal immigration into the United States is a problem that should be stopped, as it is unfair to both Americans and to the people of the country from which they illegally immigrated.  It is thought that the majority of illegal aliens residing in the U.S. are Mexicans. One of the most controversial items on hand is the 700 miles of barrier the government built along the U.S.-Mexican , production   and maintenance cost and   the laws being bypassed in order to build the barrier fence.
In 2006, the Secure Fence Act was passed to build almost 700 miles of double-reinforced security fencing in areas along the border prone to drug trafficking and illegal immigration. President Bush also deployed 6,000 National Guardsmen to the Mexico border to assist with border control.   Recent polls showed that Americans were and are still split on the border fence issue. While most people are in favor of increasing the security of the borders, others are concerned that the negative impacts would out-weigh the benefits. In any case, the U.S. government viewed the Mexican border as an important part of its overall homeland security initiative. With more negative than positive effects the government continues with their plan to build this fence.
The fence is still standing, but the project is taking a beating. Budgets are beginning to skyrocket out of proportions. A group called TCS (Taxpayers for Common Sense), a non-partisan budget watchdog group, estimates that the costs of building and maintaining the fence could prove astronomical, ranging from $300 million to $1.7 billion per mile, depending on materials, far past the government’s estimate of $8 million (Ed Pikinton...