Homeland Security

The GAO Report on the “Virtual Border Fence”

By J. Wesley ⋅ March 29, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

You can read the whole sorry story here.

Caitlin Webber from Congressional Quarterly writes (from behind the firewall) that the fence is now getting flak from both opponents and supporters of unrestricted immigration:

“The future of the technological component of the Secure Border Initiative could be in doubt as the ‘virtual fence’ loses support among those who have been the strongest backers of tough measures to secure the border. . . Never popular among interest groups and members of Congress opposed to getting tough on illegal immigration, the combination of radar, cameras and electronic sensors envisioned for portions of the U.S.-Mexican border is now also coming under fire from their ideological opposites.”

In reality, I think most of us who were solid on the immigration issue were always skeptical of the virtual border fence. I think it would be helpful in tandem with an actual, REAL fence, but it always seemed like a nice Washingtonian song and dance to make us rubes be quiescent.

For what it’s worth, Michael Chertoff from DHS has a couple of blog posts up defending the virtua-fence. He has no credibility with me, but you can read them here and here.