Fence could keep out more than immigrants
For a while now the U.S. has been planning the construction of a huge fence along the Mexican-American border. The fence, spanning 700 miles, is meant to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States. U.S. Congress recently passed a homeland security bill granting $1.2 billion for fence construction. There are many objections to this project for various reasons. One of the more obvious reasons being the message this barrier will send. It displays inhospitality towards our neighbor country. People reject the idea that we need a physical barrier to separate our country from Mexico simply because of illegal immigration. Another reason for not wanting the fence isn’t quite as obvious. The barrier would pass very close to, even through, protected wildlife areas. Environmentalists are very frustrated with the lack of response to their claims.

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Cutting through a wildlife environment causes much more damage than people may imagine. It can separate predator from prey, or force a species to leave an area in which they most easily thrive. The barrier would cut of water supply to many locations, as well. The fence would also impair a lot of economic practices that occur between Mexico and America along the border. When it all comes down to it, the fence seems as if it will cause too many problems to really be worth keeping out illegal immigrants. I’m sure if the intelligent people of the world came together they could think of a way to stop this problem without harming wildlife and other aspects of American life.
Another example of fragmentation! This seems like it would be worse than building roads through a forest. And the dividing line here would be through some of the most fragile (i.e., desert) ecosystems.
Walls don’t work here, unless we’re willing to shoot people: a 20 foot wall only encourages construction of 21 foot ladders.
Do you think this wall will have as great an impact as the wall around the West Bank?
Posted 3 years ago