Border fence across deep canyon (pics of border fence construction)

Signs on San Diego ^ | 6/22/2008 | Campo Minumten

[Ladycalif]

More than two years after a precedent-setting move by the federal government cleared a path around environmental laws and legal challenges, the construction of a stretch of border fence across a deep canyon known as Smuggler's Gulch is set to begin next month.

Proposed additional fencing The project will require cutting earth from surrounding hills and filling in the canyon with more than 2 million cubic yards of dirt, an operation so large that critics fear disastrous environmental consequences.

[sheana]

I know all about the damage done by illegals....as well as to each other. It is an issue I have followed closely for many years since I live in ground zero, the Central Valley, Ca.

[antiunion person]

How ‘bout rigging the whole area with landmines ?

Tangle foot, razor wire, bouncing betty’s, any type of anti-personnel mines, i.e, claymores, etc..... I can think of lots of ways to have fun on the border, thanks to my military training.

Oh yeah, can't forget water boarding. That always works.

[Ladycalif]

This is one of them...

http://www.extecwest.com/

[SoCalPol]

[DOCID: f:publ367.109] [[Page 2637]] SECURE FENCE ACT OF 2006 [[Page 120 STAT. 2638]] Public Law 109-367 109th Congress An Act . To establish operational control over the international land and maritime borders of the United States. <> Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress <> assembled, SECTION 1. <> SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Secure Fence Act of 2006''. SEC. 2. <> ACHIEVING OPERATIONAL CONTROL ON THE BORDER. (a) <> In General.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all actions the Secretary determines necessary and appropriate to achieve and maintain operational control over the entire international land and maritime borders of the United States, to include the following-- (1) systematic surveillance of the international land and maritime borders of the United States through more effective use of personnel and technology, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, ground-based sensors, satellites, radar coverage, and cameras; and (2) physical infrastructure enhancements to prevent unlawful entry by aliens into the United States and facilitate access to the international land and maritime borders by United States Customs and Border Protection, such as additional checkpoints, all weather access roads, and vehicle barriers. (b) Operational Control Defined.--In this section, the term ``operational control'' means the prevention of all unlawful entries into the United States, including entries by terrorists, other unlawful aliens, instruments of terrorism, narcotics, and other contraband. (c) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the progress made toward achieving and maintaining operational control over the entire international land and maritime borders of the United States in accordance with this section. SEC. 3. CONSTRUCTION OF FENCING AND SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS IN BORDER AREA FROM PACIFIC OCEAN TO GULF OF MEXICO. Section 102(b) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-208; 8 U.S.C. 1103 note) is amended-- [[Page 120 STAT. 2639]] (1) in the subsection heading by striking ``Near San Diego, California''; and (2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows: ``(1) Security features.-- ``(A) Reinforced fencing.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide for least 2 layers of reinforced fencing, the installation of additional physical barriers, roads, lighting, cameras, and sensors-- ``(i) extending from 10 miles west of the Tecate, California, port of entry to 10 miles east of the Tecate, California, port of entry; ``(ii) extending from 10 miles west of the Calexico, California, port of entry to 5 miles east of the Douglas, Arizona, port of entry; ``(iii) extending from 5 miles west of the Columbus, New Mexico, port of entry to 10 miles east of El Paso, Texas; ``(iv) extending from 5 miles northwest of the Del Rio, Texas, port of entry to 5 miles southeast of the Eagle Pass, Texas, port of entry; and ``(v) extending 15 miles northwest of the Laredo, Texas, port of entry to the Brownsville, Texas, port of entry. ``(B) Priority areas.-- With <> respect to the border described-- ``(i) in subparagraph (A)(ii), the Secretary shall ensure that an interlocking surveillance camera system is installed along such area by May 30, 2007, and that fence construction is completed by May 30, 2008; and ``(ii) in subparagraph (A)(v), the Secretary shall ensure that fence construction from 15 miles northwest of the Laredo, Texas, port of entry to 15 southeast of the Laredo, Texas, port of entry is completed by December 31, 2008. ``(C) Exception.--If the topography of a specific area has an elevation grade that exceeds 10 percent, the Secretary may use other means to secure such area, including the use of surveillance and barrier tools.''. SEC. 4. NORTHERN BORDER STUDY. (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall conduct a study on the feasibility of a state of-the-art infrastructure security system along the northern international land and maritime border of the United States and shall include in the study-- (1) the necessity of implementing such a system; (2) the feasibility of implementing such a system; and (3) the economic impact implementing such a system will have along the northern border. (b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report that contains the results of the study conducted under subsection (a). [[Page 120 STAT. 2640]] SEC. 5. EVALUATION AND REPORT RELATING TO CUSTOMS AUTHORITY TO STOP CERTAIN FLEEING VEHICLES. (a) Evaluation.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall-- (1) evaluate the authority of personnel of United States Customs and Border Protection to stop vehicles that enter the United States illegally and refuse to stop when ordered to do so by such personnel, compare such Customs authority with the authority of the Coast Guard to stop vessels under section 637 of title 14, United States Code, and make an assessment as to whether such Customs authority should be expanded; (2) review the equipment and technology available to United States Customs and Border Protection personnel to stop vehicles described in paragraph (1) and make an assessment as to whether or not better equipment or technology is available or should be developed; and (3) evaluate the training provided to United States Customs and Border Protection personnel to stop vehicles described in paragraph (1). (b) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report that contains the results of the evaluation conducted under subsection (a). Approved October 26, 2006. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 6061: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 152 (2006): Sept. 14, considered and passed House. Sept. 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, considered and passed Senate. WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 42 (2006): Oct. 26, Presidential remarks.

[antiunion person]

Extec West Inc.
Contact: Paul McCrickard
2950 Buskirk Ave, Suite 300, Walnut Creek, CA 94597 Tel: 800 823-9832

If this company is owned by an American, I feel a little bit better about where the money is going. Let's hope the rest of the operations are all American too.

[SoCalPol]

For Immediate Release
June 12, 2008

Washington Times

National security = border security

By Congressman Duncan Hunter

The open borders of the United States amount to a national security exposure. This is a fact that cannot be debated.

One has only to look at the number of foreign nationals attempting to illegally enter the U.S. through Mexico over the last several years.

Since 2005, the Department of Homeland Security reports that more than 331,000 people from countries other than Mexico have been apprehended trying to cross the Southern land border.

These individuals came from virtually every country in the world, including some with whom we have an adversarial relationship, such as Communist China, Iran and North Korea.

These apprehensions as well as the approximate 3.1 million border arrests over the same period are the result of a U.S.-Mexico border that has been left wide open and largely unprotected against illegal entry.

This vulnerability continues to be exploited by migrants and smugglers everyday and, until our borders are secure, we must anticipate that terrorists may eventually try entering the U.S. the same way.

In 2005, when testifying before Congress, then-Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security James Loy confirmed the seriousness of this threat.

According to Mr. Loy, “Al Qaeda leaders believe operatives can pay their way into the country through Mexico and also believe illegal entry is more advantageous than legal entry for operational security reasons.”

He also added that intelligence “strongly suggests” terrorists have considered entering the United States through Mexico.

That same year, while visiting Mexico City, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, “We are quite aware that terrorists will try very hard” to use the border with Mexico to enter the United States.

Miss Rice also acknowledged the fact that terrorists will continue trying to infiltrate the United States this way, and thus “we need to make certain that we keep working on this issue.”

I could not agree more. The threat created by our open borders, as well as many of the other problems that are attributable to illegal immigration, will only intensify until this exposure is closed.

While we have made some progress in recent years toward creating a more enforceable border, we still have a lot of work left to do.

Moving forward, we must continue strengthening security through manpower, technology and infrastructure, including the most reliable and effective enforcement tool so far: border security fencing.

Much like many other areas of the border today, the land corridor that once existed between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego, Calif., was for many years considered to be the most prolific and dangerous smuggling route in the nation.

It was not until I wrote into law the construction of a double border fence that the drug smugglers and armed gangs lost control of this corridor and conditions on both sides of the border started to improve.

Since construction of the San Diego border fence started in 1996, the smuggling of people and narcotics in this area has decreased by more than 90 percent.

Violent crime is down by 53 percent, according to FBI statistics, and vehicle drug drive-throughs have been eliminated altogether. There are also significantly fewer apprehensions in the San Diego sector due to fewer crossing attempts.

In Yuma, Ariz., where almost 30 miles of fencing has been completed to date, there have been similar results. In 2006, before the start of fence construction, there were 119,000 apprehensions in this sector. By the next year, once fence construction started, there were 81,000 fewer arrests.

Homeland Security is rightly building fence at other points along the border and reports it is on course to complete 370 miles by the end of this year.

Given the effectiveness of fencing, as demonstrated in San Diego and Yuma, it is in our national interest to extend this infrastructure to other smuggling routes and heavily traveled areas of the border.

Our nation’s security largely rests on the security of our borders. We know what we need to do. All we have to do is act.

[Ladycalif]

We will try to get pictures as the construction continues.

[antiunion person]

I just thought of something that pertains to:
“critics fear disastrous environmental consequences”

Environmentalist are critical to a cow’s fart, what will moving a little bit of dirt and rock do to their psyche??

[PA Engineer]

Proposed additional fencing The project will require cutting earth from surrounding hills and filling in the canyon with more than 2 million cubic yards of dirt, an operation so large that critics fear disastrous environmental consequences.

I'm sure this will turn this pristine wilderness into a desert.

[Travis McGee]

I’ve been there on foot.

[Tainan]

Looks like a good job for "cheap" labor....nod nod...nudge nudge.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Save the waterboarding for the rich White businessmen that employ the illegal slave labor.

[steel_resolve]

that’s the smartest thing I’ve heard here in a while

[Kimberly GG]

It’s suppose to be a DOUBLE fence.

[Myrddin]

Before we moved to Idaho, my wife was dispatching for the SD Sheriff's dept. Many of the big back country fires are started by illegal alien campfires. The garbage they leave behind is staggering. My wife had the unique ability to coordinate police, fire, sheriff, Animal Rescue Reserve, RACES and ARES as a licensed ham radio operator AND dispatcher. She spent lots of time rescuing horses with Animal Rescue Reserve after putting in an extended shift at the Sheriff's dispatch.

Getting the fence built is just the start. The massive clean up will take years.

[Cobra64]

To heck with the actual border, fall back and build it on the defensible high ground, build the border as a military line.

Bingo! Better vantage point for tar-jay practice too.

[Cobra64]

According to Mr. Loy, “Al Qaeda leaders believe operatives can pay their way into the country through Mexico and also believe illegal entry is more advantageous than legal entry for operational security reasons.”

He also added that intelligence “strongly suggests” terrorists have considered entering the United States through Mexico.

And they paid this guy to figure this out? He must be pretty smart, huh?

[CyberAnt]

Exactly!!

Just watch all the super disaster movies they make .. everything is a disaster to them.

I just know one thing .. 3 miles from where I live is the Mosque where 2 of the 9/11 hijackers worshiped (and plotted to kill us). Just a couple of miles from there - the apartment where they lived - right next to the shopping center I frequent.

While these 2 persons did not come through the border - their success in blowing up the WTC buildings is just an open inviation for others to sneak across the border and hit us again.

I am now convinced we will be hit again .. because our lawmakers appear to be too weak to do anything about it. But hopefully, the fence will help to stop MS-13 from invading our country any more than it already has.

[WildcatClan]

Right, this isn’t the Hunter Fence. This is the Chertoff Fence, as he was given the complete authority over how and when the fence would be built by Kay Bailey. It was sneaky, underhanded and undermined all that Hunter had fought so hard for throughout his career. I hope Texans will remember that when they are living in the 3rd world and Kay Bailey asks them for another job.

[Redcloak]

Would mining that stretch of land be more “eco-friendly”?