again i agree with you that a wall wont solve the problem but it is PART of the solution not THE SOLUTION, if you really think that it wont slow them down your an ignorant fool and need to visit this region instead of just looking at pictures and videos.
I don't have to walk every mile of the fence to know it's a loser proposition under a cost/benefit analysis.
Maybe your on the outside Buddy but in case you haven't noticed, the US doesn't have the 1.2 billion dollars to pay for fucking fences. Instead of admitting this and that another fence is sort of stupid idea, you cling like dingleberries to the notion that the fence really is doing some good.
The cost of building and maintaining a double set of steel fences along 700 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border could be five to 25 times greater than congressional leaders forecast last year, or as much as $49 billion over the expected 25-year life span of the fence, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/08/BAG6RNEJJG1.DTLHere's a test for you;
Will The Border Fence Work Ya Think?
http://blogs.bootsnall.com/nomads/will-the-border-fence-work.htmlA two billion dollar 700 mile fence.
Take a quiz and see if you think if it’s worth it:
Quiz on Undocumented Immigration
True or False:
1. _____ Up to 45% of undocumented immigrants entered the U.S. with valid documentation which has expired.
2. _____ More immigrants come to the U.S. illegally than legally.
3. _____ The IRS encourages undocumented workers to file income taxes by providing them with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
4. _____ Undocumented immigrants may not be refused medical treatment in U.S. emergency rooms. Therefore these immigrants burden hospitals at a higher rate than the native-born.
5. _____ Undocumented men have a 96% labor force participation rate.
6. _____ 0% of 9/11 terrorist attackers arrived without authorization.
7. _____ States make the decision whether undocumented students are allowed access to K-12 public school
8. _____ Border control efforts have been successful in reducing immigration levels.
9. _____ It is estimated that building a 700-mile physical wall on the U.S.-Mexico border would cost $2.2 billion in taxpayer dollars.
Multiple Choice
1. Undocumented immigrants make up approximately what percent of the total U.S. population?
A. 3-5%
B. 10%
C. 25-50%
2. Undocumented immigrants are eligible for which of the following benefits?
A. TANF (cash support)
B. Food Stamps
C. Medicaid
D. None of the above
3. Undocumented immigrants have played an integral role in financing Social Security as the U.S. population ages. A study in 2005 found that undocumented immigrants pay HOW MUCH in Social Security taxes that they will never be able to claim?
A. $4 billion
B. $6-7 billion
C. $10-12 billion
4. As border security has intensified, passage through the inhospitable deserts where there is less vigilance has led to increasing numbers of deaths of migrants due to exposure and drowning.
In 2007 the number of migrant deaths discovered on the Arizona border alone was
A. 44
B. 168
C. 237
5. Approximately how many undocumented children are there in the United States ? (of a total of 12 million undocumented persons)
Half a million
A. 1.8 million
B. 2.5 million
6. Of the undocumented population, approximately what percentage comes from Mexico ?
A. 57%
B. 23%
C. 10%
D. 5%
7. What percentage of the U.S. workforce is undocumented?
A. 1%
B. 5%
C. 9%
D. 15%
8. The long waits for the admission of family members of legal permanent residents leads to undocumented immigration. How long would it take for a lawful permanent resident from Mexico to legally bring her two-year old son to join her in the U.S. ?
A. 6 months
B. 1.5 years
C. 2-4 years
D. 4-7 years
Reyes, Belinda I. et. al. “The Effect of the Recent Border Build-up on Unauthorized Immigration.” 2002. Public Policy Institute of California . Accessed in August 2006 from http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/report/R_702BRR.pdf.
Answers
True / False
1. True: Up to 45% of undocumented immigrants entered the U.S. with valid documentation which has expired while 55% have entered without authorization. [1]
2. False: The Urban Institute estimates that in the past decade, legal immigration has averaged 800.000 persons a year, and net immigration has averaged 500,000 persons a year. Note: In general estimates on illegal immigration are difficult because the same person may cross back and forth across the border multiple times inflating the number of perceived immigrants. [2]
3. True In addition to paying sales and property taxes, undocumented workers who do not have a Social Security Number are able to file income taxes using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). This special number, created by the IRS, allows individuals to pay taxes regardless of their immigration status.
4. False While undocumented immigrants do have access to emergency assistance, a recent report revealed that they do not put any more burden on hospitals than the U.S.-born do.[3]
5. True Undocumented men have a 96% labor force participation rate.[4] This rate exceeds that of legal immigrants and U.S. citizens, suggesting very high self-sufficiency among undocumented men.
6. True 0% of 9/11 terrorist attackers arrived without authorization.[5]
7. False A Supreme Court decision in 1982, Plyler v. Doe, held that governments must provide the same free public education to undocumented children as they provide to other children.[6] This decision was based on the desire to prevent a permanent underclass and to avoid punishing children for actions of their parents.[7]
8. False In 1993, the Border Patrol was making slightly less than 1 million apprehensions a year. Thirteen years later, the Border Patrol is making over 1 million apprehensions each year.[8] Border control efforts have led to more deaths and human smuggling, and have actually increased the rate of permanent settlement in the U.S.[9]
9. True It is estimated that building a 700-mile physical wall on the U.S.-Mexico border would cost $2.2 billion in taxpayer dollars[10]
Multiple Choice
1. Answer A : Recent estimates show the total population of undocumented persons in the U.S. is approximately 11-12 million.[11] Even the highest estimate accounts for less than 4% of the U.S. population (approximately 296 million)
2. Answer D: In 1996, a federal law was passed that heavily restricted legal and illegal immigrants from utilizing public assistance programs. Undocumented immigrants are excluded from all federal public welfare programs.[12] The only assistance they may receive is medical attention in the emergency room.
3. Answer B: Undocumented immigrants have played an integral role in financing Social Security as the U.S. population ages. A study in 2005 found that undocumented immigrants pay HOW MUCH in Social Security taxes that they will never be able to claim?[13]
4. Answer C: With no official record-keeping system, the exact number of illegal entrants who have died along the Arizona stretch of U.S.-Mexican border has never been known. In the summer of 2004, the Arizona Daily Star started compiling border deaths recorded by the Pima, Santa Cruz, Cochise and Yuma County medical examiners in an effort to present an accurate tally of the numbers of people who die crossing into the United States illegally through Southern Arizona. In fiscal year 2007, 237 bodies were found.[14]
5. Answer B: 1.8 million are children.[15] There are approximately 1.3 million children who have lived in the U.S. for five or more years and who were enrolled in K-12 schools in the year 2002.[16]
6. Answer A: Of the undocumented population, approximately 57% come from Mexico, 23% come from the rest of Latin America, 10% come from Asia, 5% come from Europe and Canada, and 5% come from other areas.[17] These statistics reflect many stories – the absence of available visas, U.S. labor market demand, past and present U.S. trade policies, and growing economic disparities between nations.
7. Answer B: Unauthorized immigrants represent 5% of the U.S. labor force.[18]
Much of this labor force participation is concentrated in construction and service sectors.[19] Top economists argue that immigrant labor is vital to our economy and boosts our labor force.[20]
8. Answer D: Due to bureaucratic backlogs and visa limitations, a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) trying to bring a spouse or child from Mexico must wait 4-7 years.[21]
Sources
[1] Pew Hispanic Center. “Modes of Entry for the Unauthorized Migrant Population.” May 22, 2006.
[2] Capps, Randy and Fix, Michael. Ündocumented Immigrants: Myths and Reality,¨ Urban Institute and Migration Policy Institute. October 2005.
[3] Cunningham, Peter J. “What Accounts For Differences In The Use Of Hospital Emergency Departments Across U.S. Communities?” Health Affairs. July 18, 2006. Accessed July 2006 from healthaffairs site
[4] Passel et al. “Undocumented Immigrants: Facts and Figures.” Urban Institute. January 12, 2004. Accessed June, 2006 at http://www.urban.org/publications/1000587.html.
[5] Appleseed. “Forcing Our Blues Into Gray Areas: Local Police and Federal Immigration Enforcement.” p. 5. January, 2006. Accessed August, 2006 from: http://appleseeds.net/servlet/PublicationInfo?articleId=70.
[6] Plyler v. Doe, 452 U.S. 202, 223 (1982).
[7] Weissbrodt, David and Danielson, Laura. Immigration Law and Procedure. 5th Edition. Thomson West. 2005. p. 527
[8] Wayne A. Cornelius. “Impacts of Border Enforcement on Unauthorized Mexican Migration to the United States” Sep 26, 2006. Accessed in June 2008 at http://borderbattles.ssrc.org/Cornelius/
[9] Wayne A. Cornelius, Death at the Border: Efficacy and Unintended Consequences of U.S. Immigration Control Policy, 27(4) POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW 669 (2001).
[10] National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. “Immigration Proposal Comparisons: Bush, Sensenbrenner, Specter.” March, 2006. Accessed August, 2006 from: http://www.nnirr.org/projects/immigrationreform/Bush_Sensenbrenner_Specter.pdf#search=
%22wall%2C%20Mexico%2C%20cost%2C%20immigration%22.
[11] Urban Institute. “Children of Undocumented Immigrants.” May 16, 2006. Accessed August, 2006 from: http://www.urban.org/publications/900955.html.
[12] Fix, Michael and Haskins, Ron. ¨Welfare Benefits for Non-citizens.¨ The Brookings Institution. Policy Brief #15. 2002.
[13] Capps, Randy and Fix, Michael. “Undocumented Immigrants: Myths and Reality.” The Urban Institute and the Migration Policy Institute. Oct, 2005. Accessed January 2006 from: http://www.urban.org/publications/900898.html.
[14] “Death on the Border. Arizona Daily Star. Accessed June 2008 from: http://regulus.azstarnet.com/borderdeaths/search.php
[15] “Recently Arrived Migrants and the Congressional Debate on Immigration.” Pew Hispanic Center. April, 2006.
[16] Protopsaltis, Spiros. “Undocumented Immigrant Students and Access to Higher Education: An Overview of Federal and State Policy.” The Bell Policy Center. 2005. Accessed Feb. 06 from: http://www.thebell.org/pdf/UndocumentedStudents_HigherEd.pdf.
[17] “Undocumented Immigrants: Facts and Figures.” Urban Institute. January 2004. Accessed June, 2006 at http://www.urban.org/publications/1000587.html.
[18] Passel et al. “Undocumented Immigrants: Facts and Figures.” Urban Institute. January 12, 2004. Accessed June, 2006 at http://www.urban.org/publications/1000587.html.
[19] “The Labor Force Status of Short-Term Unauthorized Workers.” Pew Hispanic Center. April 13, 2006
[20] The Independent Institute. Open Letter on Immigration. June 19, 2006. Accessed July 2006 from: http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1727 and Peri, Giovanni, Ph.D. “Immigrants, Skills, and Wages: Measuring the Economic Gains from Immigration.” Immigration Policy In Focus. Vol. 5, Issue 3. p.4. March 2003.
[21] United States Department of State. “Visa Bulletin.” August 2006. Number 96 Volume VII. Washington D.C. Accessed in July 2006 from http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_2978.html.
"Wall or no wall, I will try at least three times," said Martinez, who said he would try to cross by himself through Tecate, a mountainous town about 35 miles east of Tijuana. "I have three girls that I have to support, and in Mexico there is no work."
