www.latimes.com

Inde-fence-ible?
By Wayne A. Cornelius
Wayne A. Cornelius is a distinguished professor of political science and director of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at UC San Diego.

November 13, 2005

WHILE President Bush was in Latin America earlier this month, cajoling governments to support a free-trade zone, some members of his party back home were pushing for a fence from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico to keep Latin Americans out of the United States.

Colorado Gov. Bill Owens, Rep. Duncan Hunter of El Cajon and other Republicans have proposed building such a barrier. Hunter's version, centerpiece of the TRUE Enforcement and Border Security Act that he introduced last week, would include two layers of reinforced fencing, stadium-type lighting, access roads, video surveillance systems and in-ground sensors. To monitor and maintain these new fortifications, Hunter would double the size of the Border Patrol.

Sealing the border is technologically feasible â€â€