California Coastal Commission Rejects Plans For Border Fence
California regulators on Wednesday denied a Department of Homeland Security's request to fortify the westernmost stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border, setting the stage for a possible legal battle between the state and the Bush administration.
The California Coastal Commission, in a 10-0 vote, found that the harm the project would cause to sensitive habitats outweighed the security benefits provided by filling in canyons and erecting additional fences along the final 3 1/2 miles of the border before it meets the ocean.
"The operation might succeed, but the patient might die," Commissioner John S. Woolley said.
The U.S. Border Patrol insisted the fortifications were needed to deter illegal border crossers and protect its agents. They said they planned to challenge the commission's ruling.
"It doesn't end here," the Border Patrol's Michael Hance said.
The ruling could delay plans to start construction next year on the final phase of the $58 million fencing project. Nine miles have already been fenced.