Thread: Homeland Security chief waives border fence restrictions

Published: 01.12.2007
Homeland Security chief waives border fence restrictions
ARTHUR H. ROTSTEIN
The Associated Press
TUCSON - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Friday waived environmental regulations and laws restricting immediate construction of border fencing along southwestern Arizona's Barry M. Goldwater Range.
The action was taken to circumvent a series of laws, from the Endangered Species Act to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.
Doing so - under authority that Congress gave the Homeland Security secretary in 2005 - will clear the way for construction in southwestern Arizona of 37 miles of traditional and virtual fencing, radar and other infrastructure, lighting, all-weather and drag roads, expected to cost in the neighborhood of $64 million.
Chertoff voided "environmental requirements and other legalities that have impeded the department's ability to construct fencing and deploy detection technology on the range," spokesman Russell Knocke said in Washington.
The construction will be part of the Bush administration's overall Secure Border Initiative that calls for adding a mix of fencing, cameras and high-tech surveillance and communications, vehicle barriers and other features to diminish and deter illegal crossings along the Mexican border.
Another 28 miles mixing high-tech virtual fencing and a traditional physical barrier was announced last year.
For several years, Arizona has been the epicenter for crossings by illegal immigrants, often led by smugglers, though the number of Border Patrol apprehensions dropped more than 11 percent last year compared to 2005.
A similar dip was reflected in known entries and apprehensions on the Goldwater Range over the same period.
With the waiver authorities taken care of, the team planning the border initiative will begin its work on determining the precise types of fencing and technology and border infrastructure that's going to be required in the 37-mile stretch.
The 2.8 million-acre range is used by the Air Force and Marines for bombing and aviation training.
The planned fencing will take in five miles to the west of the Goldwater range. It will not include the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, which is immediately east of the range, Knocke said.
Dr. Robin Silver, board chair of the environmental organization Center for Biological Diversity, called Chertoff's move "a historic travesty."
"Because they refuse to deal head-on with the economics of the immigration challenge, they're now taking a step to destroy the integrity of the central part of southern Arizona's desert," Silver added. "There's not a wall on earth that's going to stop a human in search of a minimum-wage job to feed his hungry family."
Knocke said an exception will be made to accommodate the flat-tailed horned lizard, a species previously taken off proposed listing for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Small openings will be make in fencing that is constructed to allow the lizard to continue crossing into Mexico.
Knocke said it was determined that the endangered Sonoran pronghorn "would not present any major issues."
Chertoff's waivers will be published midweek in the Federal Register, but Knocke said it's not immediately clear when construction could begin.
Authorities said there were more than 17,000 known attempts by people trying to illegally enter the country on the Goldwater Range and 9,600 apprehensions in 2005, while the numbers dropped to 15,200 attempted entries and nearly 8,600 apprehensions last year.
Some of the decreases are attributable to use of National Guard troops assisting the Border Patrol as well as more agents and technology, Knocke said.
There are more than 6 miles of fencing currently on the range with some vehicle barriers and Defense Department communications facilities also in place.

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/38554.php

"Because they refuse to deal head-on with the economics of the immigration challenge, they're now taking a step to destroy the integrity of the central part of southern Arizona's desert," Silver added. "There's not a wall on earth that's going to stop a human in search of a minimum-wage job to feed his hungry family."

The illegals have done a good job of destroying the desert, but this numbnut doesn't seem to understand that. The second sentence is just plain stupid. What kind of person pays 2000 bucks to a coyote in order to get a job paying $5.00 and hour if his family is hungry. That's insane. They may be poor but they are not starving. Illegals make reference to building houses and starting businesses, but I haven't heard the hungry, starving story in a while! Locks won't keep a determined thief out of your house, but it will keep the vast majority out who won't take the risk or the trouble. Walls and fences work the same. If there is no wall or no lock, you can assured that intruders will enter.

virtual fencing,

Rick Perry's kind of fence like the one we could watch on the on the internet and report illegal border crossers that cost millions. I heard the other day that they have caught 2 with this expensive equipment so far. Thats right!, that is what they said on the radio, after millions and millions of dollars spent on camera's so far they have caught 2 as in two!

Wonder if Dr.Silver has noticed what the illegals are doing to the border environment..Either the abandoned plastic water jug or a plastic grocery bag hanging from a mesquite limb will soon be the Texas state flower.

Added to Homepage

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=N ... e&sid=1837

It's about time Secretary Chertoff acted on the side of common sense (something that has been a rarity for him). I'm all for protecting the environment at the border, but I'm even more for protecting our country from illegal immigration! The border wildlife will adjust and adapt to changes in their environment. After all, it's not like we're dumping 20 million more lizards, antelope, desert foxes, ect. on top of them. In other words, we're not displacing them with forced population growth, nor are we introducing a excessive number of predators into their environment.

SECURE THAT DARN BORDER!

Doing so - under authority that Congress gave the Homeland Security secretary in 2005 - will clear the way for construction in southwestern Arizona of 37 miles of traditional and virtual fencing, radar and other infrastructure, lighting, all-weather and drag roads, expected to cost in the neighborhood of $64 million.

Chertoff must be as dumb as a box of rocks if he thinks a vertual fence is going to work.

Rockfish It's so they can do virtually nothing about the invasion

Originally Posted by andyt

Rockfish It's so they can do virtually nothing about the invasion

It's so they can give contracts to companies that make political contributions. Their buddies are employed as lobbist by these companies.

Fence companies don't make big enough contributions.

Makes sense, knowing how these thugs work. I'm surprised they don't give a contract to Haliburton for a real fence, but then again, the fence, in my opinion, will never be built. They are stalling..to let time go by until the NAU kicks in..then they'll think they don't have a reason to build it..meanwhile the money goes elsewhere..