Former Border Chief: Arizona Wall Put A Dramatic Stop To Illegal Crossings

Posted By Rachel Stoltzfoos On 10:03 AM 04/04/2017

A former border chief cites an Arizona wall that dramatically cut illegal immigrant crossings as proof barriers can work to keep people out in testimony prepared for a Senate hearing Tuesday.

The wall built on the southern border near Yuma resulted in 94 percent fewer illegal crossings, former deputy Border Patrol chief Ronald Colburn says in the testimony previewed by Paul Bedard in the Washington Examiner. Calling the results “impressive,” Colburn cites the wall to refute the commonly stated argument that President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall is a waste of time and money, because it wouldn’t actually stop illegal immigrants from crossing.

Before the Yuma fence was built, Colburn says the Yuma Border Patrol identified 2,706 times in a one year period when smugglers loaded up a vehicle with drugs and/or people and simply drove across the border. Just 13 of them were detected and stopped by immigration authorities. “The rest all got away, with no idea what or who they brought in,” his testimony notes.

After the fence was built, however, only six vehicles tried to cross the border, and every one of them was captured or turned back.

“by 2008, Yuma Sector arrests of illicit border crossers and traffickers had dwindled down from over 138,000 down to 8,363,” Colburn states in his testimony. “The known attempts to enter and the got-aways dwindled to an equally minimal number compared to the hundreds of thousands that entered and evaded arrest in previous years.”

Colburn is set to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee Tuesday, when the full committee will examine fencing along the southern border. David Aguilar, former Acting Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, and Terence Garett, professor and chair of the Public Affairs and Security Studies Department at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, will also testify.

http://dailycaller.com/2017/04/04/fo...gal-crossings/

The same thing happened when the San Diego fence was built. I'm talking about the double-layered fence with a high-speed road between layers, sensors, and stadium lighting.

Yes, barriers work. It's a law of the universe. It's why we fence our farms and yards. It's why we have locks on our doors and security alarm systems. It's why we have barricades on closed roads. It's why we have dams and levees. It's why we have troops on borders in other countries. It's why we have shut-off valves on water lines. It's why we have plugs. It's why we have bouncers at bars and roped off areas. Barriers work. Simple law of the universe.

The fence can help.

In this instance, they are citing vehicular intrusion and that's different from foot traffic - but it could be impressive.

If you are talking about holding back nature, it works generally. If you are talking about holding back animals, generally.. If you are talking honest people or somewhat dishonest who are easily dissuaded, or fear either retribution or prosecution - generally.

If you are talking hordes of people who are totally motivated, who know there are no consequences, that's a different story. They have everything to gain and nothing - less than nothing to loose.

Not that a wall might not be a very good part of this - but a part is all it is. It will have to have men behind it.

I like the San Diego fence idea with the road being heavily patrolled by people with weapons and the authority to use them.