Build the Wall

Illegal immigrants who passed through a gap in the U.S. border wall await processing by Border Patrol agents in Jacumba, Calif., on Dec. 7, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Commentary

A new poll indicates that for the first time ever, most Americans are in favor of constructing a wall along the U.S.–Mexico border. Additionally, 60 percent of the population views illegal immigration during the Biden administration as a significant problem.

The American people want a wall. President Joe Biden does not. After all, this is a man who responded with a blunt “no” when asked if a wall can help keep illegal immigrants out. Many left-leaning media outlets and think tanks agree with the president.

It’s important to remember that on his first day in office, President Biden issued a total of 17 executive orders, one of which was a directive to halt all wall construction within a week. This decision resulted in billions of dollars’ worth of unfinished work. Although President Donald Trump had vigorously pursued the construction of more than 450 miles of wall, the entire project was supposed to extend another 200-plus miles. President Biden made sure this never happened.

Begrudgingly, he agreed in October 2023 to reverse course and build an extra 20 miles of southern border wall, but it was too little, too late. The damage had been done. Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants had entered—and continue to enter—the country. In fact, since 2021, the number of illegal border crossers has exceeded the 8 million mark—roughly the population of New York City. On some days, as many as 10,000 illegal immigrants enter the United States. Also, as Chris Clem, a recently retired Border Patrol chief, told me, he doesn’t believe that any of the construction promised by President Biden in October 2023 has even started.

As for the idea that a wall won’t work, Mr. Clem thinks President Biden is wrong.

“Walls are installed to deny and impede entry or control and contain entries,” Mr. Clem said. “Walls do work when installed in locations where they make sense.”

Mr. Clem, a man who dedicated more than 27 years of his life to serving his country in El Paso, Texas, and Yuma, Arizona, said that contrary to popular belief, “not every mile of border needs a wall, but some barrier may be necessary.”

For example, in urban settings, where vanishing points occur within seconds to minutes, walls play a crucial role in aiding agents in border security. Without walls, individuals can quickly vanish in the urban landscape. Conversely, in rural and remote areas where vanishing points can span from minutes to hours or even days, walls may not be essential. Instead, vehicle barriers are necessary to deter smugglers from transporting contraband across the border.

Moreover—and this is a critical point—the wall, as previously stated, serves the purpose of preventing, obstructing, and managing entries. However, the wall system incorporates advanced technology such as cameras, lights, sensors, and access roads. This enables agents to effectively detect any unauthorized entries, accurately identify and categorize potential threats, and respond to and resolve these threats in a secure and efficient manner.

“Most, if not all, of the wall system was stopped under the current administration, with only limited areas receiving some minor installation since January 2021,” said a clearly disillusioned Mr. Clem.

As Raphael S. Cohen, a security expert with RAND, has noted, walls do serve very specific and effective purposes. Mr. Cohen reminds us that throughout history, walls have successfully kept unwanted elements at bay. The Great Wall of China was constructed by early Chinese states to defend against nomadic groups from the Steppes. Roman Emperor Hadrian built a wall in Britain to separate the Roman territory from troublesome northern tribes. In modern times, Israel has erected walls along various borders to safeguard against terrorism, smuggling, illegal immigration, and other security threats.

In addition to keeping invaders out, walls have also been used to separate warring factions. During the Troubles in Northern Ireland, for example, the British installed “peace walls” in Belfast to separate Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods and reduce sectarian violence. In Iraq, as Mr. Cohen noted, the U.S. military used concrete barrier walls to combat threats such as improvised explosive devices and isolate areas of sectarian conflict, highlighting the crucial role of such barriers in conflict zones.

However, Mr. Cohen does concede that walls alone are not enough. They must be coupled with effective policies and coherent strategies.

This fact seems to be lost on the Biden administration.

The United States lacks a wall. It lacks effective policies. And when it comes to keeping Americans safe, it appears to lack any sort of coherent strategy.

Millions of Americans want a wall. President Biden won’t give it to them. And for this reason, among many others, he may find himself defeated by President Trump in November.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.