News / Politics
700 mile fence to be constructed along U.S. border with Mexico
President George Bush signed a bill authorizing construction of fence as means of defending border; questions remain on how the project will be funded.
In an attempt to crack down on illegal immigrants and take more proactive measures securing the border President George Bush has signed The Secure Fence Act of 2006. The bill will allow for the construction of a 700 mile stretch of fencing along the 2100 mile border shared by the U.S. and Mexico.
Before signing the bill Bush said “"We have a responsibility to address these challenges. We have a responsibility to enforce our laws. We have a responsibility to secure our borders. We take this responsibility seriously.”
While Congress has supported the bill, the American people remain skeptical about the project. Several polls have indicated U.S. citizens favor more Border Patrol agents over the idea of a fence.
Bush did highlight the increase in funding for Border Agents and an overall increase in actual agents. He expressed his desire to up the number of Border Patrol agents to 18,000 by the end of his presidency.
It is estimated that the fence will cost over $2 billion, an amount that would far surpass the $1.2 billion approved as part of the bill.
More than 6 million illegal immigrants have been caught and deported since Bush took office in 2000.
