The Great Wall of Texas...

"In ancient China people wanted security so they build the great wall. As they settled back to enjoy their security they were invaded three times, not once did the invaders break the wall or climbed over it. Each time they bribed the gatekeeper and marched right in."

What the Fence will do:
The Fence will cut off the number of routes for illegal entry, thus making it more dangerous and expensive to get into the country illegally. The current piece of the fence in the San Diego area has led to reduced illegal entry and crime in that area, but overall illegal entry has not been significantly impacted.

What the Fence will not do:
The Fence will not prevent Terrorists or determined criminals (such as drug traffickers) from entering the country. The fence will not cover the entire border, and will be subject to penetration and tunneling.

Costs:
The project has been estimated to cost between 7 and 50 Billion dollars over the next 25 years. With a low estimate looking at just the cost of fencing and the higher estimates figuring in costs of maintenance, purchasing land, legal fees, contracted workers, etc.

Legislative vs. Executive Branch:
The Department of Homeland Security should be combating this problem without the intervention of congressional mandates. Both border security and immigration fall within this department. If those leading these organizations can not do the job, then we should be calling for new leadership, not new laws.

Conclusion:
Consider this in combination with my previous post on immigration reform... we need new ideas and better strategy... outside the box thinking... not more laws.