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LA County Sheriff Calls For Bigger Fence On Mexican Border
A giant fence running along the Mexican border -- similar to the one being constructed around Israel -- could help reduce the threat of domestic terrorism, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said Friday."They have a big fence, and it works," Baca told a gathering of the Los Angeles County Lincoln Club, a group of politically conservative Republicans. "The fences we have down on the border don't work." Israel's fence, still under construction, is as high as 25 feet in some areas. It is constructed of barbed wire, electrified metal and concrete, and contains watchtowers and sniper posts. "What's wrong with that?" Baca said of building a similar one along the Mexican border. The sheriff also complained that the federal government lacks the political will to stop illegal immigration, which he said puts U.S. security at risk and leads to overcrowded jails and overtaxed public resources. "What we need is a national movement for a constitutional amendment on the security of the American border," Baca said. "We're not being prejudiced, we just want people to come here legally." He said the United States helped contribute to the tide of illegal immigration when it began granting amnesty to refugees fleeing civil wars in Nicaragua and El Salvador during the 1980s. As a tide of Central American political refugees moved north, Baca said, they helped accelerate the influx of Mexicans into the United States fleeing poverty. Businesses and consumers have come to tolerate the tide of illegal immigration, he said, because it provides a pool of cheap labor that keeps down the cost of goods and services. Posted by: Frank G 2005-07-25 |
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