"On a nearly 2,000-mile border with Mexico, the Senate voted to build some 370 miles of triple-layered, high-tech fencing. The message is clear: If we spend enough money on the fence -- and it could be a couple of billion dollars by the time we're finished -- people will stop coming across the border illegally.

And who will build this fence?

On Rush Limbaugh's radio show, Vice President Dick Cheney said the National Guard is particularly good at building fences. He cited the San Diego fence, built by the Guard, as "particularly effective."

But one problem with a fence -- and the sheer length of our border -- is that people will find another way around. That's why the vice president told Limbaugh's listeners that "serious consideration" ought to be given to a security barrier that's ocean to ocean.

We could seal the border completely and it would not stop people from outstaying visas. The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that one-third to one-half of all illegal immigration occurs when someone enters the United States on a temporary visa."

Get the Story:
Mark Trahant: Fencing is not good for America (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer 5/21)

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