Build barrier between Mexico and US?

[buttmunch]

LOS ANGELES — A fence already marks the U.S. border with Mexico but in some places, it's no more than a strand of wire or metal rail.

Where a real barrier exists, it works. Illegal immigrants (search) are forced to travel long distances to get around miles of tall steel and razor wire.

Click in the video box to the right for a complete report by FOX News' William LaJeunesse.

Now, a group of border activists are pushing for a new, bigger fence — more like a Berlin Wall — from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean.

"If we don't stop the illegal immigration problem at the border, the problem will grow in far more dangerous ways ... because illegal immigration from Mexico provides easy cover for terrorists," says one national television ad sponsored by Weneedafence.com, a project of Let Freedom Ring, Inc.

The TV spot focuses not on the politically charged issue of illegal Hispanic immigration but border crossers who may be a security threat, especially those caught who originated from suspected sponsors of state terrorism (search).

(Story continues below)

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"What are people from Yemen and Syria and Iran doing in Mexico trying to enter the U.S. illegally? This is an issue that requires a wall," said Colin Hanna of Weneedafence.com. "We are absolutely not anti-Hispanic, we do not think the fence should be perceived as anti-Hispanic, or anti-Mexican, we are not anti-immigrant, we are pro-immigration, but we are pro- legal immigration."

Hanna's group hopes to persuade Congress to take on the $8 billion project but aside from the cost, Hispanic activists claim that good neighbors build bridges, not fences, and that a fence will stigmatize people fighting for their shot at the American dream.

"I think what we're doing is criminalizing work and criminalizing the need of families to be together," said Angela Sanbrano of the Central American Resource Center, an open-borders interest group.

Years ago, the idea of a great wall on the southern border would have been dead on arrival in Congress, but times have changed. Polls now show that more than 80 percent of Americans like the idea, and it has bipartisan support. One House bill has bipartisan support but is nowhere near ready for passage by the entire Congress.

Many Democrats favor the concept because the downward pressure on wages from illegal immigrants is hurting organized labor (search). Republicans, meanwhile, also like the wall for national security reasons.

[muchlove]

Weneedafence.com.... lol.


Maybe they should take that money and build something to keep water out of gulf coast towns or something.

[buttmunch]

Maybe they should take that money and buy themselves some compassion.

[Grimmlok]

Sadly, I agree with them. It's ridiculous for the people who have to go through the long, legal process to immigrate to see people merely jumping the fence.

Build the wall I say.

[euro-kitty]

Absolutely,build a wall!

[buttmunch]

Come on, this reminds me of Isreal's 'barrier'. Now only people who can grease a few palms will get through.

[Grimmlok]

No, Israel's barrier is a form of apartheid

This is to keep illegal immigrants out

[buttmunch]

I suppose but it seems so isolationist? I know illegal immigrants are a problem but what the fuck...building a wall?

[Grimmlok]

Yeah, the but the illegal immigrant issue is a major problem down here.. we're talking in the MILLIONS.

These are people who are basically taking jobs from people who are 1) citizens, 2) landed legal immigrants.. screwing up demographics, not paying taxes and not contributing to society. They're leeches.

[buttmunch]

But aren't they taking the jobs no one wants or will have? toilet cleaning and the like? I don't know, so many people in the States have ancestors that were exactly like those they're pointing fingers at, who were also smeared with this sort of rhetoric. I just can't get myself too worked up about it.

[Grimmlok]

It's not rhetoric, it's fact.

An illegal immigrant does not contribute to society by paying taxes. They send all their money back to their country of origin. It's not like the early 20th century, when immigrants arrived by the buttload on boats LEGALLY to populate the nation.

Some illegal immigrants may occupy crappy jobs that nobody wants, but I find that's rhetoric in itself. There are plenty of poor-ass people who would jump at that job in the country already. Also, lots of places use said illegal immigrants as basic slave labor, and pay no taxes on employing them as it's all under the table. So in 2 ways is the rest of society being ripped off, and it still shits all over anybody who did the hard work of going through the system and legally immigrating.

[buttmunch]

Hmmmm...I'm going to have to do a bit of research before I delve into this fray any further.

[Grimmlok]

As an example of slave labor, the fruit growing industry uses illegal immigrants who will pick fruit for next to nothing.

[buttmunch]

Of course they do that...every country with any GDP does that. Thai blueberry pickers in Scandinavia are a great example. Send 'em out to the forest, pick a butt load of blueberries and suddenly they're in society, or at least on the fringes.

The thing is, I'm guessing alot of these people are just looking to get ahead and I can't fault them for that. A few will abuse the system but these people would pay taxes if they could just get citizenship or a green card. And why is it that there is a greeen card lottery for some countries, like Ireland and other European countries, while for Mexicans, who are right next door, we're building walls to keep them out?

[Grimmlok]

I think it's sheer numbers... like I said, in the millions