Sen. Ben Nelson
Posted on 03/04/2006 6:50:54 AM PST by Hat-Trick
Nelson wants to fence off Mexico
BY HENRY J. CORDES
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
There's a growing consensus in Washington that before Congress can address comprehensive immigration reform, it must first crack down at the nation's borders, U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson said Friday.
Sen. Ben Nelson
Nelson this week introduced a new border security bill, one that would go even further than the proposal he first outlined in September.
Among the provisions added since September is the construction of a $5 billion, two-layer reinforced fence that would stretch from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico along the 1,900-mile U.S.-Mexico border.
The latest bill also includes a requirement that all employers verify that their workers are in the country legally and adds 10,000 new detention beds to hold those found in violation of federal immigration laws.
"It's a border-security-first bill," Nelson, a Democrat, said at an Omaha press conference.
"If we don't do something about the border, the problem is going to get worse."
Nelson introduced his latest bill on the same day the Senate Judiciary Committee began work on an immigration reform proposal. Bill Frist, the Senate majority leader, has asked for a bill to be ready for debate by the full Senate later this month.
Nelson said the problem with most immigration proposals introduced to date is that they get bogged down over what to do with the estimated 10 million people already in the United States illegally.
There is much disagreement over that, from calls to deport them to various proposals to create amnesty or guest worker programs.
"A huge bill with guest workers or amnesty is going nowhere," he said.
Nelson said it will be possible to bring more people together if the issue of border security is addressed first.
A Nelson spokesman said the senator's bill is the only one in the Senate that includes provisions for a fence, though there have been other fence proposals in the House.
Nelson's bill is co-sponsored by two Republicans, Jeff Sessions of Alabama and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma.
While the cost of the fence might be high, Nelson said, it's modest compared to the cost of dealing with illegal immigration.
He said he didn't think his proposal would hurt companies in Nebraska that have come to rely on labor from undocumented workers. Nelson said efforts to stop illegal immigration should be accompanied by steps to increase legal immigration.
Overall, he said, his proposal would "solve the border security problem where it starts - at the border."
Nelson's Nebraska colleague, Chuck Hagel, is among the senators who have introduced bills for comprehensive immigration reform.
Hagel has advocated legislation that would give legal status to undocumented immigrant workers under certain conditions, such as maintaining a work history in America for several years and passing security and criminal background checks.
Asked about Nelson's security-fence proposal, Hagel said he makes a distinction between immigration reform and border security.
"I'm generally not in favor of building walls," he said.
This story includes material from the Associated Press.
I like this guy Nelson. Is he good about anything else, just wondering since he is a Dem? And I didn't realize Hagel was a RINO.
"I'm not in favor of building walls" is such a wimpout Kumbaya statement it literally makes me sick to the stomach. So I suppose the house he lives in has no walls or doors, just a roof with "enter" signs all over.
I'm in favor of a large, electric fence backed up by a shark infested moat. ;-)
Because the government of the GDR had no right to turn their territory into a socialist prison, while the people of the United States have every right to keep out hordes of third-world refugees.
Other than that, there's no difference.
There once was a FReeper, a pain
Our borders were what she disdained
She claims to hate Hillary
While Tancrcredo she pillory
Makes me wonder if she's really McCain
He, along with Rep. Chris Cannon R-UT and Sen. Larry Craig R-ID, was one of the big pushers behind the AgJobs Amnesty (which fortunately died young) a couple of years ago.
I believe that if certain areas had a protective fence it would make those areas livable such as the fence in SoCal that stopped the criminal invasion of Imperial Beach. Proving that fences have a legitimate and practical use, and be damned if the PC flakes and the Mexican chauvinists get in a hissy fit.
Onw wall was to keep peoiple in. The other to keep them out.
Fabulous idea. I'd even donate money to begin the project.
"Putting up a fence will have little effect and cost the taxpayer jillions. "
Not "jillions", about $5 billion (meaning $2 million a mile, a reasonable estimate). In the entire scheme of things, this is a drop in the bucket. And what do you mean it will have "little" effect, that's just patentedly untrue.
" a shark infested moat." Sharks with frickin' lasers on their heads!
Rule of thumb, if he votes for Harry Reid for majority leader, he votes for abortion, activist judges, high taxes, big spending and US bashing in the war. He should not be allowed to get away with it.
Our wall would be to keep people who don't belong here OUT!
I know the difference is very subtle but I'm sure if you think about it very carefully, you'll get the point.
Calling all sharks to duty!
Yep!
i think at the end of the day we're overlooking the true problem. most of the illegal immigrants are here because they know that ANY job, even menial labor, will pay significantly higher then no job in Mexico. it's a matter of feeding their families. these people will probably risk anythink to do that. how far would you be willing to go if your family's survival depended on it? would you chance a long stint in prison? death in the desert? at the end of the day, enough will say yes.
i dont know that i can suggest any solutions, although I'm sure a wall that is adequately manned would probably stem the flow.
You clearly think in platitudes and simplicities, and fail to understand complex situations. The Berlin wall was erected to keep people in. The commies had a big problem of all their people "voting with their feet", trying to escape to the west. When all they had to do was cross a street, it was easy. When the commies built the wall, it solved that problem.
It wasn't built to make communism work. That task would work or not work depending on the nature of communism (as it happened, it failed.) But the Berlin wall served its purpose quite well. People stopped leaving East Berlin. The number of escapes became a trickle.
The southern border wall with Mexico would be built to keep Mexicans from walking across a lightly defended border, or smuggling drugs, weapons and all sorts of contraband across that border. If properly built and manned, it should work without difficulty. It won't be foolproof, and I don't doubt that people will still get across. But if we can make it dozens a night instead of thousands, that will improve the situation immensely. At the same time, we should be working on the problem of the ones who are here.
A border fence won't solve the problem of the desire for cheap labor on the part of American businesses, or the desire to leave Mexico on the part of poor campesinos, or the crappy economic system in Mexico. But it will solve the problem it is intended to solve, which is the problem of unfettered immigration into the US by people just crossing the border at will.
So, you are wrong on all counts.
The Berlin Wall was a strong attempt by a communist government to keep its citizens inside the wall. A southern border fence system will strive to keep Mexican citizens from crossing illegally into the U. S. for various illegal purposes.
You can't see the distinction? Really?
"Those who want in will simply fly over it"
We aren't trying to stop migratory birds...or have Mexicans "evolved" to be able to fly?
"Use captured illegal alien labor (kept in work camps) to reduce the cost."
Can you imagine the stink that would cause? There would be much wailing and rending of garments, the lefties would gnash their teeth, the U.N. would meet in emergency session, etc...
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