John King/CNN: border fence works (but, maybe "reform" would be better)

John King of CNN offers "Border fence is a dividing line in immigration debate", a report from his "State of the Union" show (link). It provides anecdotal evidence that the border fence works where it's deployed, but he also closes on a note that might have been designed to promote comprehensive immigration reform, aka amnesty.

After some initial pomposity ("John King goes outside the Beltway to report on the issues affecting communities across the country"), it says:

To the Border Patrol agents stationed in Yuma Sector, there is no debate. To them, the fence is a success story...

...The fence has three layers in areas where there is an urban neighborhood on the Mexican side. [Border Patrol agent Chad Smith] is among those who say their flights are less hectic now because while you can still clearly see the trails in the sand and in some hilly areas below, there is considerably less traffic.

"I've flown before and come back and had 70-plus [illegal immigrants logged in a tracking book]," Smith said. " I know guys who have gone on a flight and come back with 100-plus illegals in their logbook. Now it is in single digits, typically."

..."This used to be a very high-trafficked area, and now it is not," [another BP agent] told us.

However, he includes the following at the end as a kicker:

And Father John Herman, a Roman Catholic priest whose Spanish language Masses are packed with illegal immigrants, blames the fence for more risky crossings in less-populated desert areas.

"We know that the way enforcement has gone has driven many people into the desert and caused more deaths. Needless deaths. If we could only get together and work for comprehensive immigration reform."

See the false compassion page for why he's wrong.

Sun, 02/15/2009 - 09:27 · Importance: 4