[untrained skeptic]

I would.

I am however skeptical that a physical barrier is capable of doing that.

Physical barriers can be bypassed, tunneled under, or cut through. They must be patrolled to be effective. If we catch someone coming under, through or around the barrier we end up arresting them, which means they end up burdening our courts, jails, Border Agents and social services.

An physical barrier that is practical to build doesn't seem like it would provide much of a deterrent. It would slow down criminals at the border and possibly make them easier to catch, but unless we provide a real deterrent from them trying again, it's benefit is rather limited.

A border fence or wall can be part of an overall plan to address the problem, but by itself it would likely end up as a huge waste of money, so it depends on how the barrier is built, what it costs, and what else is being done to solve the problem at the same time.

[moehoward]

No one is proposing to build a fence then call it a day. It will be just one of "the proper tools to detect and apprehend illegal immigrants" you mentioned in your post.