Border Issues

[zunzune]

Mayors of some Texas border cities are taking a stand against the federal government's plans to build hundreds of miles of wall and fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Department of Homeland Security says the barrier is needed to stem illegal immigration from Mexico. But the Texas mayors are refusing to allow the fence to be built on their cities' property.
Hector and Enrique Mendiola are two brothers who grew up in the Texas border town of Eagle Pass.
The two regularly go fishing in the Rio Grande River, which makes up about 12 hundred miles of border between Texas and Mexico.
On a recent afternoon, they launched their small fishing boat not far from the international bridge that connects Eagle Pass to its Mexican sister city, Piedras Negras. About three times a week, they pull out big, flathead catfish. Once they hooked a 44-pounder.
The Mendiola brothers said the Border Patrol agents check on them once in a while, but there is never a problem.
But the brothers said they do have a problem with the border fence.
"We're against it, let's put it that way," one said. "I think, we don't need no walls here."
They are not the only ones who feel that way.
Eagle Pass Opposes Fence
The Eagle Pass City Council passed a resolution against the border fence and is refusing to allow the federal government to build the wall on river-front city property, which is used as a public park and municipal golf course.
Mayor Chad Foster does not want the 16-foot tall fence, but he does want other parts of the federal government's border barrier plan — stadium lighting and a paved road that would run along the river.
"There will be 15 light towers that will illuminate this park and the municipal golf course at night," Foster said. "And there'll be a road that will basically follow this dirt road carry it along this edge of the river and with that in place we feel the Border Patrol will be more than capable of patrolling the river."
Foster is also chairman of the Texas Border Coalition, which is made up of elected officials in communities along the border. He said they face issues that you will find only in Texas. Arizona, California and New Mexico do not have a river defining the nation's boundary, and those states have not faced the same level of opposition seen in Texas.
"We know where our border is because my feet get wet when I get close to the mid point of the Rio Grande. Texas is unique. One size does not fit all," Foster said.http://www.npr.org

[zunzune]

NPR ran a short piece today about a "virtual" fence along the border. I did not have the chance to listen to the story in its entirety. Any information on this?

[zunzune]

I heard a little more on this early today on the news. Good grief, I should be sleeping right now. It is after all a day off for me. Anyway, the fence talk says that there would be stationary and motion sensored cameras that the general public would be able to access and report any "suspicious" activity to the Border Patrol. Can anyone say vigilante?

[zunzune]

I've seen Chad Foster on a couple of TXCN segments recently. I admit to not paying a LOT of attention so can anyone tell me what REALLY is going on? Is this lawsuit serious?

[energy]

Originally Posted by zunzune

I've seen Chad Foster on a couple of TXCN segments recently. I admit to not paying a LOT of attention so can anyone tell me what REALLY is going on? Is this lawsuit serious?

Only as long as someone lines their pockets with cash. The fence is being built as we write and nothing is going to stop it at this point. It's a done deal why waste time and money on a lawsuit where only the lawyers will win.