SAN DIEGO, May 1 (UPI) — Supporters of the bipartisan immigration bill the U.S. Senate is debating said they are confident the Border Patrol can stop the flow of illegal immigrants.
Measuring border security to achieve 90 percent effectiveness is required as part of the path to citizenship for the country’s estimated 11 million illegal immigrants, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
The proposed legislation gives the Border Patrol five years to demonstrate it can capture or turn back 90 percent of the people who illegally attempt to enter the country across the Southwest border.
The bill provides $4.5 billion to add patrol agents, fences, surveillance drones, advanced radar and other equipment.
U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is among the eight senators who put the immigration deal together.
“I am confident that the technology and surveillance capability as well as the drones will allow us to have effective control of the border, McCain said.
His negotiating partner, Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said supporters insisted concrete metrics be achievable.
Border residents, experts and longtime patrol agents have expressed deep skepticism, the Times reported.
They want to know how anyone can reliably estimate the number of immigrants that agents don’t catch in order to prove 90 percent effectiveness.
Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).
Bury IED’s along the fence, the word will get out.
If the US wanted to stop the illegals, it could. We have the personnel and resources for it. As far as building a fence to halt the practice, use the israeli model to stop palistinian terrorists. I read of a civilian group that puts snipers out in the evening, and when they see illegals crossing, they take care of the situation. I don’t advocate violence, but something has to be done, and at least they are doing something.
I am betting they can’t stop them. There is big money in getting these people across the border as well as the drug smuggling. They have been doing it for years and I don’t think they will stop. I saw a news report last night on CBS that said the illegal crossings are worse now than they have ever been. They are all trying to get here so they can become legal.