From 2013:
“A Senate committee rejected an immigration-legislation amendment offered by Sen. Ted Cruz today that would have added significant security resources along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The amendment proposed tripling the number of Border Patrol agents stationed along the U.S.-Mexico border and quadrupling equipment, “including cameras, sensors, drones and helicopters,” within three years. And the 700 miles of border fence required by a 2006 law would need to be finished.”
Cruz’s senate race had border control and illegal immigration as one of it’s main focus points.
Fair enough, but two points.
First:
A fence is not a wall. It’s not a trivial difference in my opinion.
Second:
there was nothing substantially different about what Cruz was supporting in 2013 from what was already law. We already passed a bill in 2006 to build 700 miles of border fence, and it hasn’t been built yet, because there’s been no will to do so. So basically what Cruz was supporting was little different from the current law which most politicians already give lip service to supporting yet never seem to find a way to make happen.
Passage of his amendment wouldn’t have made border security a reality any more than current law does, IMO. What will finally secure out border is not merely passage of a law which both parties conveniently ignore, but a tough Executive who makes border security his personal issue and among other things builds a substantial wall.
Increased border security, drones, Everify etc. are all solutions which can easily be undone by future administrations. They’re solutions designed to manage the problem, not solve it. A wall is forever. It will be there whether future administrations like it or not.