Build an Actual Fence
The old adage of putting the ‘cart before the horse' seems pretty relevant to the on-going debate about immigration reform in Congress. No plan for immigration reform will work until we control the border. The fact is though; we don't control our own borders.
Just this past week, the Department of Homeland Security announced that they would cut funding for a project along the southern border called the virtual fence. After spending over a billion dollars in taxpayer money, federal bureaucrats finally came to the conclusion that a virtual fence simply doesn't work.
I have long advocated that the best solution along our porous southern border is an actual fence. I voted for 700 miles of fence along the border and in 2007, I introduced legislation that called for a real fence across the entire border. Only a fraction of that fence has been completed.
Controlling our border is not only a matter of fairness; it is also a matter of national security. We can never be truly safe until we control who comes into this country.
A fence is not the only answer to our immigration problem. But having the ability to enforce our laws is a good place to start. While our country is great because of immigration, it must be legal immigration.
We need to regain control of our borders and enforce the laws on the books. Until we control our own border, any other plan is simply putting the cart before the horse.
Sincerely,
Sam Graves