Secretary Napolitano just announced that she would be halting SBInet until she could complete her review of the program. SBInet- inaccurately nicknamed the ‘virtual fence’ is actually a system of cameras and sensors at the border to help border patrol agents catch illegal border-crossers. Thus far, the program has been initially deployed at two areas along the border, but Napolitano’s decision would halt future funding until the completion of her program assessment. Undoubtedly- taxpayers demand that dollars are spent wisely—and Congress as well as DHS have every responsibility to make …
TUCSON, AZ: Congress is not smarter than the Border Patrol. Congress was right to fund the Department Homeland Security’s request to build barriers along the border, but wrong to specify specifically where and how much border fence has to be built—or judge progress in border security on just building the “wall.” My visit to the Tucson border included a trip to the border fence with the Border Patrol. Here is what they told me—“border fences are not a magic bullet.” Fences don’t stop people. At best they slow them down …
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff sat down with a handful of bloggers yesterday to talk about some of the issues facing his department, including completion of the fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, compliance with Real ID and the prospects of immigration reform in 2008. Following his somewhat contentious testimony to Congress yesterday, Chertoff used the interview to dispel myths associated with the Real ID law, which has come under attack from liberals and civil liberties groups who incorrectly call it a national ID. Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) accused …
