Border securityBorder communities decry Washington’s misguided emphasis on border security
Billions of dollars have been spent in an effort to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. Many border communities see investment in cross-border commerce, rather than spending money on fences and patrol agents, as a better way to reduce crime and illegal immigration. “We don’t need more Border Patrol agents — we need more customs agents,” says El Paso mayor John Cook.
Billions of dollars have been spent in an effort to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. Earlier this year, the Senate passed the immigration reform bill which calls for adding 20,000 Border Patrol agents to the current force, and building 700 miles of fencing and high-tech detection devices. Republicans in the House prefer a few smaller bills to address immigration reform and border security issues rather than the big, comprehensive bill passed by the Senate.
No action on immigration is expected until late fall this year, if then.
Discussions of immigration and border security issue connote an image of the border area of not much more than miles of fences and thousands of patrol agents. People who live along the border and their leaders reject this negative image..
The Huffington Post reports that a group representing U.S. and Mexican border mayors, Border Mayors Association, favor “trusted travel” programs that allow authorized travelers easily to move between both countries. The group claims that long waiting hours at the border cost the region billions of dollars by deterring Mexican shoppers and delaying U.S. shipments.
“We don’t need more Border Patrol agents — we need more customs agents,” says El Paso mayor John Cook, the director of the Border Mayors Association. “Basically, we have 20th century infrastructure and for the most part, a 19th century policy, trying to facilitate trade in the 21st century.”
Growing trade due to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) requires more access, not closures and delays, along the border. The San Ysidro port of entry accommodates 50,000 cars and 25,000 pedestrian crossings daily. The port of entry is the world’s busiest, but the crossing has been under construction for years, waiting on Congress for allocation of funds.
“Better infrastructure means better security,” Jerry Sanders, San Diego’s former Republican mayor who now heads the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, told the Post.
Many border communities see investment in cross-border commerce, rather than spending money on fences and patrol agents, as a better way to reduce crime and illegal immigration. Former San Diego mayor, Bob Filner opened a city government office in Tijuana, and before his resignation, bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics to be held in San Diego and Tijuana as host cities.
