Thread: Border fence divides many, as Giffords' stance shows

Border fence divides many, as Giffords' stance shows
By Bill Hess

Published/Last Modified on Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 - 11:43:57 am MST


SIERRA VISTA — The congressionally mandated double fence along the U.S. boundary with Mexico is being double-crossed, proponents for a secured border contend.

But, Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, whose 8th Congressional District includes the part of the border many say is a sieve for human and smuggling, said a single strong fence is sufficient.

Richard Humphries and Glenn Spencer disagree, both noting when President Barack Obama was a senator from Illinois, he supported the 2006 law requiring a double fence.

While the U.S. Senate recently passed another bill calling for the completion of the double fence, Giffords has joined six other representatives calling on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to keep the double fence on the U.S.-Mexico border out of the spending bill for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The House version of the spending bill does not require completion of a double border fence that was in the Senate version, and the bill now goes before a House and Senate conference committee.

Giffords was the only Arizona representative to sign the letter last week to Pelosi, joining four House members from Texas and two from California.

One of the signers of the letter is U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas, who served in the U.S. Border Patrol for more than 26 years and retired as a sector chief for the area between McAllen and El Paso.

He also chairs the House Select Committee on Intelligence.

Of him, Giffords said with his Border Patrol experience and his work in the intelligence arena, if Reyes says one fence is enough, it’s from a more than knowledgeable source.

Others against the double fence, especially those in Texas, claim it will divide private land and public property on the U.S. side of the border to the detriment of land owners and government entities.

One solid fence is as good as a double fence, except in some urban areas, Giffords said.

The cost for putting in a double fence is prohibitive and takes away from other border security needs such as better ports of entries and using high-tech systems such as cameras and sensors, she said during a Saturday interview with the Herald/Review.

“Even the Border Patrol does not believe a double fence is needed,â€

Border fence divides many, as Giffords' stance shows
By Bill Hess

Published/Last Modified on Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 - 11:43:57 am MST


SIERRA VISTA — The congressionally mandated double fence along the U.S. boundary with Mexico is being double-crossed, proponents for a secured border contend.

But, Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, whose 8th Congressional District includes the part of the border many say is a sieve for human and smuggling, said a single strong fence is sufficient.

Richard Humphries and Glenn Spencer disagree, both noting when President Barack Obama was a senator from Illinois, he supported the 2006 law requiring a double fence.

While the U.S. Senate recently passed another bill calling for the completion of the double fence, Giffords has joined six other representatives calling on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to keep the double fence on the U.S.-Mexico border out of the spending bill for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The House version of the spending bill does not require completion of a double border fence that was in the Senate version, and the bill now goes before a House and Senate conference committee.

Giffords was the only Arizona representative to sign the letter last week to Pelosi, joining four House members from Texas and two from California.

One of the signers of the letter is U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas, who served in the U.S. Border Patrol for more than 26 years and retired as a sector chief for the area between McAllen and El Paso.

He also chairs the House Select Committee on Intelligence.

Of him, Giffords said with his Border Patrol experience and his work in the intelligence arena, if Reyes says one fence is enough, it’s from a more than knowledgeable source.

Others against the double fence, especially those in Texas, claim it will divide private land and public property on the U.S. side of the border to the detriment of land owners and government entities.

One solid fence is as good as a double fence, except in some urban areas, Giffords said.

The cost for putting in a double fence is prohibitive and takes away from other border security needs such as better ports of entries and using high-tech systems such as cameras and sensors, she said during a Saturday interview with the Herald/Review.

“Even the Border Patrol does not believe a double fence is needed,â€

We need armed guards along those fences housed in towers every mile or two....

Time to move a few military bases to the border area as well.

We need armed guards along those fences housed in towers every mile or two....

Time to move a few military bases to the border area as well.

Tbow009, I agree with you 100%.

Tbow009, I agree with you 100%.