Thread: Fence protects while it divides

EL PASO — From a rocky desert promontory a few miles west of town, Border Patrol Agent Joe Romero looked down into the tranquil, sunlit streets of Anapra, Mexico, and Sunland Park, N.M.

Not long ago, these adjacent communities were separated only by a few hundred yards of open desert, a chain-link fence and a nearly invisible international boundary.

When the sun dropped in the west, this bleak outpost became a chaotic hotspot for Border Patrol agents trying to intercept drugs and immigrants entering the United States.

“A year ago, our barrier up here was a barbed wire cattle fence. You could stand here and see groups of people getting ready to cross,â€

[quote]“There are two things that can immediately be done to take pressure off the border. Legalize the immigrants who are already here and create programs to bring workers in legally,â€