Original Blog Entry: ...."Fence Stops 95% of Illegals

konane — Fri, 19 May 2006 16:39:41 GMT

"Border Patrol: Fence Stops 95% of Illegals

Source NewsMax.com

"The plan passed by the Senate yesterday to build a fence along the U.S.-Mexican border is far and away the most effective means to halt illegal immigration, according to the federal agents who have been struggling with the problem for decades.

More than a ten years ago, the federal government built a fence along the San Diego sector in California. Ed Henry, assistant chief of the Border Patrol for that region, says that the impact was immediate.

"Apprehensions here are down a staggering 95 percent, from 100,000 a year to 5,000," he told National Public Radio last month.

Henry described a triple-layered fence that sounds similar to the one proposed in the Senate plan.

"The first fence, ten feet high is made of welded metal panels," reported NPR. "The second fence is 15 feet high, steel mesh with the top angled inward to make climbing even tougher. Finally, in high traffic areas, there's also a smaller chain linked fence.

"In between the two main fences," said Henry, "is a one-hundred-fifty foot no man's land, where the Border Patrol has lights, trucks, and soon, video cameras."

"Here in San Diego, we have proven that the border infrastructure system does, indeed, work," the San Diego border agent said. "It is highly effective."

Under the plan passed by the Senate yesterday, most of Arizona would be fenced off, including high traffic areas around Yuma, Nogales and Douglas. Less populated areas to the east would be protected by 500 miles of vehicles barriers and virtual fencing."

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/5/18/93321.shtml?s=et