Pros And Cons Of Building Border Tunnels

Even if building a wall along the border is feasible without damaging the United States economy and hurting consumers, it will not solve the immigration problem. There are already border walls along portions of the U.S. border and this has not stopped immigration. This is in part due to the digging of border tunnels. Immigrants choose to build tunnels to transport themselves, others, and contraband because it is safer for them. Border tunnels allow for the movement of large amounts of people and contraband more covertly. While most tunnels are for smuggling drugs or people into the U.S., they could also be used to move in weapons and explosives for a terrorist attack. Tunnels are a serious challenge for Border Patrol agents because they can

Now they are changing tactics by tunneling beneath the border to evade U.S. enforcement agents. These tunnels are increasing in size, frequency and sophistication, which means more and more drugs are entering our country below our feet. In 2006, I visited a sophisticated tunnel discovered by the multi-agency San Diego Tunnel Task Force, stretching from an abandoned warehouse near the southern border of California into Tijuana, Mexico. The tunnel was 2,400 feet long – nearly a half-mile – the longest cross-border tunnel ever discovered. It reached more than nine stories below ground at its deepest point and had ample ventilation and groundwater drainage systems, cement flooring, lighting and a pulley system. Authorities seized over 4,200 pounds of marijuana in the tunnel. Tunnels can range from shallow dirt crawlways to sophisticated concrete structures with shoring, ventilation and electricity. One recent tunnel even included a makeshift elevator. Underground tunnels present a serious national security threat, and I will continue to work with California law enforcement, prosecutors and our Mexican counterparts to prevent their

The 287(g) program permits a state or local law enforcement entity to partner with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, under a joint Memorandum of Agreement, to enforce federal immigration law in their jurisdiction. In 2009, ICE revised the 287(g) program, to prioritize the arrest and detention of undocumented immigrants with criminal histories. In a December 2012 news release, ICE announced it would not renew any of its agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies that operate task forces under the 287(g) program. At that point, ICE concluded that other enforcement programs, including Secure Communities, are a more efficient use of resources for focusing on priority cases.

“Smart and effective immigration enforcement relies on setting priorities for removal and executing on those priorities; these year-end totals indicate that we are making progress, with more convicted criminals, recent border crossers, egregious immigration law violators and immigration fugitives being removed from the country than ever before. Though we still have work to do, this progress is a testament to the hard work and dedication of thousands of ICE agents, officers and attorneys around the country, said former director John