KOLD News 13 live, local and late breaking-Tucsonans React to Proposed 2000 Mile Border Fence

Tucsonans React to Proposed 2000 Mile Border Fence

by Mark Poepsel , KOLD News-13 Reporter

Congressman Duncan Hunter, R-California, wants the U.S. to build a fence across the entire border with Mexico that would extend 20 times the length of the Berlin Wall.

Supporters say it will keep illegal immigrants out and save the U.S. government billions spent on education and other programs immigrants benefit from.

But opponents say it won't solve the root problem of povery, which often sends migrants north looking for work.

Some outspoken opponents of illegal immigration say the idea of building a 2000 mile border fence is overdue.

"I believe the way foreign countries are abusing our southern border," said Russ Dove. "Absolutely put a fence on it yesterday."

Dove says the estimated $8 billion that would be spent to construct a border fence is a good investment. "Good fences make good neigbhors," he said.

"I don't know how anyone could think a 15 foot wall or fence between two countries patrolled with stadium lights and drag roads would make good neighbors," said Kat Rodriguez of the group Derechos Humanos, who oppose the building of a border fence.

Immigrant rights supporters say patrolling and keeping up the barricades across the entire length of the border would cost much more than a few billion dollars.

They say policies and treaties including NAFTA and CAFTA are to blame for Mexians and other immigrants from south of the border being forced to move north and get work.

"It's not going to address that, never has." Rodriguez said. "It's not addressing why people are migrating, just putting barriers. 

Representative Hunter said terrorism threats present another reason to build a better blockade.

"Today we have hundreds of thousands of people coming across a land border between the United States and Mexico. It's not an immigration problem anymore. It's a security problem," he said.

He says several people from nations including North Korea and Iran have been found crossing the border. Tens of thousands of imigrants from nations "other than Mexico" have been caught.

Border activists say the comments amount to fear-mongering and pull attention away from a deeper discussion.

"All of that debate gets shoved aside when people are played on their fears," Rodriguez said.

Opponents of a border fence say no specific major terrorist attacks have been tied to illegal immigration across the Southwest border.

They add that Arizona and Tucson have cultural ties and economic ties to Mexico and the Mexican state of Sonora that could be negatively affected by the erecting of a double border fence.

"It ignores our relationship as people who are many of us bicultural, a country of neighbors we've always been," said Rodriguez.

But supporters of the fence say it would protect the nation they have to think about first.

"As far as I'm concerned, there's only one culture that needs to be preserved in America: American culture," said Dove.

Both sides find common ground on one issue. They both believe corporations benefit most from illegal immigration and should be prevented from illegally employing migrant workers.