Residents see need for more patrols along barrier
March 27, 2011 11:57 AM
By LAURA B. MARTINEZ, The Brownsville Herald

If the objective of the border fence is to stop illegal immigration, then the fence isn’t working, some area residents say.

What does help deter illegal crossing, they maintain, is the presence of U.S. Border Patrol agents. But these same observers claim they are seeing fewer agents and wonder if that’s partly because of the fence.

Furthermore, the border near the Southmost area once was well lit with the spotlights used by the Border Patrol but now is often dark, they say.

Pamela Taylor, 82, and her daughter, Michelle Moncivaiz, are among those who have always opposed construction of a border fence.

Now that they have lived with the fence for a time and have some experience, they say it has not deterred immigrants from crossing onto their property and, if anything, they are seeing even more people than before.

“Our biggest concern is that the Border Patrol is not going to get enough money and we are not going to get enough agents on the ground here,â€