Triple Border Fence Initiative

United States Border Security or National Public Policy Failure?

Date: Friday, May 5, 2006
Time: 1:00 - 3:30 pm
Location: Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice, Theatre & Rotunda
Free and open to the public
Directions and Parking [ PDF (178.32 KB) ]

Flyer [ PDF (169.28KB) ]

The San Diego County Triple Border Fence Initiative
On Friday, May 5, 2006 The University of San Diego Trans-Border Institute (TBI) hosted a forum discussion of US immigration enforcement policy, entitled the "Triple Border Fence Initiative." The triple border fence project was approved by Congress in 1996 and litigation interrupted the completion of the fence for almost 10 years. In December 2005, a federal judge waived legal challenges filed by the Sierra Club and other environmental groups approving the completion of the final 3.5 miles of fencing through biologically significant and sensitive habitat along the U.S.-Mexico border. At risk is the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, designated as a wetland of international importance by the International Ramsar Convention in 2005. The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR), a National Wildlife Refuge, lies on the border with Mexico facing the city of Tijuana -- it is one of the few unfragmented estuaries and coastal lagoons in Southern California.

The Public Policy Discussion
Opponents of the triple border fence in the United States site the need for fiscal discipline and environmental stewardship. $35 million has already been spent on the initial construction of the fence and an additional $35 million to complete the final 3.5 miles was approved last year by the Department of Homeland Security. That fence cost twice as much as planners originally predicted. The construction of the fence also threatens the Tijuana Estuary Reserve which serves as a habitat for hundreds of migratory and native birds. Proponents of the fence claim that closed borders are integral to maintaining the national security of the United States. "Border security is a national security issue," states Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, a staunch border security advocate. "If we don't know who is coming into this country, and don't know whether they are going to do us harm or not, than we don't have secure borders." Currently an estimated 11 to 12 million undocumented immigrants reside in the United States.

The Broader Implications
In December 2005 the US House of Representatives passed an immigration reform bill that would mandate construction of approximately 1,100 additional kilometers (700 miles) of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico Border. The December 2005 House Bill proposed fencing identical to the San Diego County triple border fence. The challenges and issues that arose throughout the construction of the triple border fence in San Diego will be instructive in the evaluation of the national proposals currently being considered in Congress. For example, many say the $2.2 billion estimated to extend the national triple border fence over 700 miles is too low. The new fence will span the border in parts of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to prevent illegal immigration into the United States.

The Forum Discussion
Distinguished panelists addressed the different issues pertaining to the construction of the triple border fence in San Diego County and in the context of the other immigration reform proposals seeking to expand the fence along parts of the entire US-Mexico border. What are the accurate fiscal projections of the U.S. triple border fence initiative? Would the border fence strengthen U.S. National Security? How does this project affect the environment? What are the long-term implications of this project with regard to environmental sustainability?

Distinguished Panelists:
Agent Michael Hance, Department of Homeland Security [ PDF (1.62 MB) ]
Hon. Denise Moreno Ducheny, California State Senate, District 40
Hon. Brian Bilbray, Former Congressman, U.S. House of Representatives, California
Dr. Suzanne Michel, Adjunct Professor of Marine Science and Environmental Studies, University of San Diego [ PDF (1.11 MB) ]
Dr. Steve P. Mumme, Professor of Political Science, Colorado State University [ PDF (755.97 KB) ]
Peter Nuñez, Former U.S. Attorney; Professor of Political Science, USD

Resources:
The Real ID Act and San Diego-Tijuana Border Fencing: The New Politics of Security and Border Environmental Protection [ PDF (61.63 KB) ]
May 15, 2006
by Stephen P. Mumme, Colorado State University

Links:
Crossing the Line on Border Protection
By Lawrence A. Herzog
Contributing Voice
Voice of San Diego
May 12, 2005

Borderline Tragedy
The invasion along the border--and efforts to stop that invasion--continue harming the environment
by Tim Vanderpool
Tucson Weekly
May 11, 2006

The Border's Pending Fight
By Rob Davis
Voice Staff Writer
Voice of San Diego
Friday, May 5, 2006