Environmental groups are concerned about a new plan to build a 700-mile long fence along the border with Mexico.
The official plan, as envisaged in a legislative bill on immigration reforms, is meant to stop the flow of undocumented workers from Mexico, but scientists say it will bring nothing but disaster for the biological diversity of the region.
"The only living things the walls won't stop are people," said Michael Finkelstein, executive director at the Tuscan, Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement.
Finkelstein and other independent experts fear that the proposed fence will restrict the movement of wildlife and disturb the unique and fragile ecology of the region.
The border area is home to many endangered species of plants, birds and animals, such as owls, parrots, jaguars, wolves, bears, and lions, that often need to move around as an essential element of their survival.
According to experts on biological diversity, some jaguars found in Arizona come from Mexico.
Similarly, "Mexican Gray Wolves, Peninsular Bighorn Sheep, and other endangered species need to cross their borderland habitat often," said Finkelstein, "and this wall will crush their ability to survive."
The 2,000-mile long U.S.-Mexican border region is considered an extraordinary source of biological diversity because its is shaped by a variety of ecological forms, including deserts, mangrove forests, plains, mountains, river valleys, and wetlands.
The Senate approved the legislation on Friday and now it awaits only a signature from President George W. Bush.
The proposal seeks to construct a series of barriers separated by an access road for patrol vehicles on long stretches of the border in California, Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico.
The immigration bill passed by the House does not provide funding for the fence, but Republicans have suggested it would cost around $2 billion. Democrats estimate that it would cost no less than $7 billion.
Supporters of the fence plan say it would enhance border protection from illegal immigrants crossing from Mexico and provide security against its possible use by terrorists.
"We have to come to grips with the facts that our border petrol agents need a fence on our southern border where we are now facing infiltration by members of terrorist organizations like Hezbollah," said Rep. Ed Royce, a California Republican, in a recent statement.
For their part, Democrats have charged the Republicans with trying to use the immigration issue to attract votes in the upcoming Congressional elections.
They are trying to confuse Americans into thinking "Osama bin Laden is heading north in sombrero," said Texas Democrat Lloyd Doggett.
The proposed legislation allows the Department of Homeland Security to take charge of the border in 18 months and gives additional powers to the border security force agents, besides calling for a study on the need for a fence along the U.S.-Canada border.
About 1 million undocumented workers from Mexico are believed to have crossed the border last year.
Even before the bill has been signed into law, the Department of Homeland Security has awarded a contract to the Boeing Corporation to develop sensors, cameras, and other equipment to control the U.S.-Mexican border.
Those who failed to win the contract include giant corporations such as Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Ericsson.
The three-year contract Boeing won is estimated to be worth over $2 billion.
"This strategic partnership allows the Department to exploit private sector ingenuity and expertise to quickly secure our nation's border," said Michael Chertoff, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in a recent statement.
As federal border enforcement intensifies, environmentalists say such measures will not stem the tide of illegal immigration, and authorities should take measures that do not harm wildlife.
"They need to focus on vehicle barriers in strategic and at-risk places on the border," said Finkelstein, who notes that wildlife-friendly vehicle barriers in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona have already proven effective at stopping smugglers from entering the United States.
Haider Rizvi
OneWorld US
OneWorld is a global network of people and organizations that care about issues beyond their own borders. Subscribe to the free OneWorld Daily Headlines and Perspectives e-zine to Stay Informed and Get Involved.
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 13
I am not buying it as an excuse..... but then again... Not a PETA member.
We have a lot of opportunities in the U.S. and we should figure out a way to help people who have fewer opportunities. I think people who come to the U.S. through Mexico have sacrificed and struggled a lot to come here. They come here not to make a quick buck for themselves, but to help their families. If you had the opportunity to earn more than twice of what you make and send your children to school, would you do it? I think the question we have to ask is why are Mexican immigrants coming here. We have to get to the root of the problem. If there were just as many opportunities in Mexico and the value of the peso was just as high as the dollar, I bet not many people would be coming here.
If you haven't seen it already, check out the movie El Norte. You will see how Mexican immigrants struggle to cross the border and the difficulties they have once they are here. You will surely feel blessed that you didn't have to go through the same struggles and maybe you will feel more empathetic and compassionate towards Mexican immigrants.
We can come up with practical solutions that will keep the U.S. safe and clean, and meet our labor needs. Companies that benefit from Mexican labor need to be involved and invest in this process. They need to provide a fair wage to these workers and make it easier for them to come here legally with work permits. They need to invest in local communities to keep them safe and clean. Local, state and federal governments also need to be involved to make it possible for people to come here and work legally, and contribute to the economy. We need to be involved by helping new immigrants learn English and participate in our vibrant, multicultural society. We all have something we can contribute to make everyone's lives better in the U.S. and in Mexico. After all we live in an interconnected world, where what happens there will affect us here, and vice versa.
Also what happens to animals will also have an impact on us. We have distanced ourselves from the natural world by living in urban environments. The only contact some people have to nature is through shows on PBS. This is why we care less and less about what happens to trees, animals and other living creatures.
I don't think we have to choose between humans and animals, but we do have to ask ourselves what the consequences of our actions are on all living things! Let's try to find solutions that don't have negative consequences humans, animals or the natural environment.
Mexicans should be working to overthrow their own corrupt government instead of crashing our borders and trashing our institutions. Build your own country and don't invade ours!
And a people rising up against their own government for change is NOT Terrorism!!!!!
Do you think the French would have revolted against their government if the poor could have gone to England?
This is not about stopping people who want to become U.S. citizens and work for America.. This is about people comming and working here for the Mexican government.
And the active policy of the MExican government telling its citizens to get work in the United States!!! How long until your family is affected?
Its not very long.. but a good read..
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1191935,00.html
Putting up a fence separating the US from Mexico is not like fencing off an Oasis in the desert. The fence is far enough south that migratory patterns of land-based animals wont really be affected (DEATH VALLY is down there, I think it gets hot enough for their survival).
You are talking about thousands of acres on either side of the fence for animals to survive without threat to their livelihood. The only creatures who might be harmed are of the 2-legged variety. Outgoing President Vincente Fox just begged Bush to veto the fence. (Same guy that handed out comics showing people how to cross illegally.)
There is a legal way to get into the U.S. sneaking in any other way is a criminal act, and should be treated as such.
The Border Fence could be designed in a more environmental-friendly way. Because, America needs to even build fortified cities with walls as high as the Great Wall of China to keep illegal immigrants and terrorists at bay.
Personally I don't like illegal immigrants and terrorists. They are the causes of the nightmares of the restless days and sleepless nights in America.
I am a Nigerian and I have never applied for Visa and I have been engaged in nation building of a New Nigeria and not running away to America or Europe in self-exile. Because, I love my country for better or for worse.
May God help America.
Your "feel good" attitude sounds like utopia. But, unfortunately, Utopia doesn't exist. Mexico is a country that is rich in natural wealth and resources, but the Mexican government would rather let American taxpayers foot the bill for their poor and disenfranchised citizens. It's a really nice thought to be able to help all those poor people, but where is the responsibility of Mexico to "take care of their own"?
Granted, people would like to have a job and make money, but the illegal aliens coming here are not coming here to become "American citizens". They have no allegiance to this country, are not interested in "contributing" to the American economy, assimilating into our national culture or anything else associated with the United States. They are here for one reason only.........MONEY! They send the majority of their income back to their home country while American taxpayers support them with food stamps, welfare, medical care, free education and any other social programs they can plunder while living here.
As far as the companies that hire illegal aliens, they do so to exploit "cheap labor" and are not concerned with the national or financial security of this country. They also depress wages for American citizens in doing so. I worked the Mexican border for years and dealt with literally thousands of illegal aliens. Most of them displayed contempt for the United States, calling us stupid and bragging about how they play the "system" and boasting of their contempt for our rule of law.
The only reason they did all their "marches" in May here in the U.S. is that if they tried the same thing in Mexico, protesting their treatment by their own government, the Mexican Army and the so called "Mexican Police" would brutally put down the protest and kill many of them or put them in jail. They should be petitioning their own government to treat them with more respect and to provide for their own welfare, rather than coming to this country to take advantage of our societal charity while not taking any responsibility to "contribute" to America.
My grandparents came to this country from Europe around the turn of the 20th Century and they went through many "hardships" to get here. However, they came here to become Americans, not hypenated individuals who retained their allegiance to their "home" country. The first thing they did was to learn the English language and they worked to become Americans in every way. They worked hard, payed taxes, raised children in the "American" way and didn't insist on America "accepting" their foreign culture. We have a unique culture, developed over the 230 or so years that this country has existed and we LIKE our culture. I don't recall just who said it, years ago, but the statement was "If you insist on hyphenating your citizenship, such as "Mexican-American, or African-American, or German-American, etc." you ARE NOT REALLY AN AMERICAN!