A 2009 Report by the Congressional Research Service cites evidence by which to conclude that Representative Nancy Pelosi is correct: the border wall that Trump desperately wants funding for in order to fulfill his campaign promise and for which he is "proud" to inflict immense pain on the entire country and economy -- first and foremost on hundreds of thousands of federal employees deprived of pay checks even while they continue to work -- is an "immorality".
Among the evidence and facts cited by the Report are that the 850 miles of border wall (or steel fence) existing in 2009:
(a) is ineffective at reducing the number of near-border apprehensions of illegal aliens, even while numerous proven methods of border security are employed such as increases in border patrol personnel, vehicle fleets, seismic sensors, night vision goggles, permanent and portable lighting, and helicopters (today less-expensive drones are used);
(b) is otherwise lacking a metric for measuring effectiveness;
(c) was and is enormously expensive to build and maintain (a later Congressional estimate was that maintenance would cost $50 billion over 25 years
In 2006, Democrats supported legislation to build border fence - The Boston Globe );
(d) is routinely breached at significant expense, as well as evaded by climbing or driving over with ramps, tunneling under, or using a different route;
(e) is horribly destructive to the environment and to threatened species;
(f) redirects those determined to enter illegally into more treacherous routes (e.g., over more rugged terrain or across the Rio Grande), thereby leading to more injury and deaths among these people; and
(g) leads to increases in crime in more remote areas where there is less available law enforcement.
Additionally, building a border wall in rural areas of Texas and reservations in Arizona will involve tendentious, time-consuming and expensive issues of land acquisition, for which, due to various complex historical circumstances, owners will not receive fair compensation.
Read the Report:
Border Security: Barriers Along the U.S. International Border
As noted on another thread, illegal immigration across the Southern border not only benefits the US economy, it precisely correlates with economic conditions. The sea-to-shining-sea wall that Trump promised would likely even deter the exiting of illegal aliens during those times when more such persons leave than enter the US. Thus, Trump's wall is not just an immorality, inspired by bigotry, it is stupid.
Among the evidence and facts cited by the Report are that the 850 miles of border wall (or steel fence) existing in 2009:
(a) is ineffective at reducing the number of near-border apprehensions of illegal aliens, even while numerous proven methods of border security are employed such as increases in border patrol personnel, vehicle fleets, seismic sensors, night vision goggles, permanent and portable lighting, and helicopters (today less-expensive drones are used);
(b) is otherwise lacking a metric for measuring effectiveness;
(c) was and is enormously expensive to build and maintain (a later Congressional estimate was that maintenance would cost $50 billion over 25 years
In 2006, Democrats supported legislation to build border fence - The Boston Globe );
(d) is routinely breached at significant expense, as well as evaded by climbing or driving over with ramps, tunneling under, or using a different route;
(e) is horribly destructive to the environment and to threatened species;
(f) redirects those determined to enter illegally into more treacherous routes (e.g., over more rugged terrain or across the Rio Grande), thereby leading to more injury and deaths among these people; and
(g) leads to increases in crime in more remote areas where there is less available law enforcement.
Additionally, building a border wall in rural areas of Texas and reservations in Arizona will involve tendentious, time-consuming and expensive issues of land acquisition, for which, due to various complex historical circumstances, owners will not receive fair compensation.
Read the Report:
Border Security: Barriers Along the U.S. International Border
As noted on another thread, illegal immigration across the Southern border not only benefits the US economy, it precisely correlates with economic conditions. The sea-to-shining-sea wall that Trump promised would likely even deter the exiting of illegal aliens during those times when more such persons leave than enter the US. Thus, Trump's wall is not just an immorality, inspired by bigotry, it is stupid.
