Press Release/Statement

The exposure of our southern border demands that we take immediate action to implement the most effective enforcement mechanisms available. And while technology and manpower are an important part of this effort, the best and most effective method of preventing illegal foot and vehicle traffic from entering the United States is border security fencing.

In San Diego County, border fencing remains a critical part of our effort to prevent and deter illegal immigrants and drug smugglers from entering the local community. Since construction of the San Diego border fence began in 1996, the smuggling of people and narcotics has dropped drastically; crime rates have been reduced by half, according to FBI statistics; vehicle drug drive-throughs have been eliminated; and apprehensions have decreased as the result of fewer crossing attempts.

This level of success illustrates that border fencing works. In fact, the San Diego border fence is serving to benefit both sides of the border. As conditions in San Diego County have improved, communities on the Mexican side of the border are no longer at the mercy of the armed gangs and drug smugglers who once roamed and controlled the Tijuana smuggling corridor.

It is no surprise that when I proposed extending this infrastructure across 700 miles of our southern land border, critics immediately dismissed the idea that border fencing would serve any functional purpose. Recognizing the success of the San Diego border fence, however, the Secure Fence Act, which required the construction of double-layered fencing at strategic points along the U.S.-Mexico border, passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly and was signed into law by President Bush.

It has been more than a year since the enactment of the Secure Fence Act, and the smuggling corridors along our southern land border remain open. The American people want our borders secured, yet the Department of Homeland Security, even when presented with a mandate from Congress to get the job done, has done little of what is actually required to achieve an enforceable border.

Rather than adhering to the law, the department announced its intention to build 370 miles of fence, not the 700 miles required by the measure. Moreover, the department opted to build single-layered fencing instead of the double-layered infrastructure called for in the legislation. The reality is that single-layered fencing and vehicle barriers do little, if anything, to stop illegal immigration.

Even the Clinton administration, which initially opposed building the San Diego border fence, recognized its responsibility under the law and initiated its construction. And as a result, the smuggling corridor that existed between Tijuana and San Diego was immediately closed. This success can be delivered to other border regions experiencing the adverse effects of illegal immigration, but it will require that the Department of Homeland Security acknowledge its responsibility to the American people and begin building the necessary infrastructure.

Illegal immigration is no longer an issue solely reserved for border states and communities. In the post-9/11 world, illegal immigration is a national security issue. And one of the easiest ways for terrorists to enter the United States is through our nation's southern border. We must anticipate that the same smugglers who carry humans and contraband across the border would not hesitate, especially for the right price, to help terrorists find their way into the United States.

Consider that in 2005 alone, more than 155,000 foreign citizens from countries other than Mexico were apprehended attempting to cross our southern land border. Many of these individuals originated from countries of national security concern, including Syria, Iran, Lebanon and Yemen, and probably represent only a fraction of those who successfully entered our country without the knowledge of border security officials or the consent of our government.

Today's security threat requires that we know who is crossing our border and what they are carrying with them. Unfortunately, under our current border control strategy, we are incapable of ascertaining either. Without a reinforced, physical impediment along our southern border, achieving these dual objectives is nearly impossible.

Further complicating this challenge is a recently enacted omnibus spending bill that eliminates the double-fencing requirement included in the Secure Fence Act and reduces required fence construction to 370 miles. This spending bill dismantles the only legislative advancement made in recent years toward securing our border with Mexico and further compromises the safety, security and prosperity of the American people.

Although the authority of the secretary of Homeland Security to build a fence along the border has not been rescinded, it has been made clear that most of the new fence will be single-layered and extend no more than 370 miles. During the past year, for instance, only 77 miles of fencing has been built, of which five miles is double-layered. This lack of progress is disconcerting, particularly when considering that the Department of Homeland Security has received more than $2 billion for border infrastructure.

It is for these reasons that I introduced the Reinstate the Secure Fence Act in the House of Representatives. My legislation restores the most substantive elements of the Secure Fence Act, requiring 700 miles of fencing be constructed within six months of the bill's enactment. If we truly hope to bring some sense of security to our southern border, then we must begin building the appropriate infrastructure in the timeliest manner possible.

It is time we get serious about border control, do what's right, and build the border fence.

Duncan Hunter is a Republican congressman from Alpine in San Diego County.