Anxiety Grows for Those Between Border and Fence
- Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:21pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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(AP) Max Pons is already anticipating the anxiety he’ll feel when the heavy steel gate shuts behind him, leaving his home isolated on a strip of land between America’s border fence and the violence raging across the Rio Grande in Mexico.
For the past year, the manager of a sprawling preserve on the southern tip of Texas has been comforted by a gap in the rust-colored fence that gave him a quick escape route north in case of emergency. Now the U.S. government is installing the first gates to fill in this part of the fence along the Southwest border, and Pons admits he’s pondering drastic scenarios.
“I think in my head I’m going to feel trapped,” said Pons, who lives on the 1,000-acre property of sabal palms, oxbow lakes and citrus groves he manages for the Nature Conservancy’s Southmost Preserve. “I need to have something that is much easier for me to have to ram to get through” if necessary.
Pons‘ concerns illustrate one of the complications in the government’s 5-year-old effort to build a secure barrier along the border that would keep out illegal activity from Mexico without causing worse problems for the people living in the region.
In this lush area, the Rio Grande’s wide floodplain precluded building the fence right on the border so it was set back more than a mile in places, running behind the levees. The result is a no-man’s-land of hundreds of properties, and the people who work on them, on the wrong side of the divide.
The arrival of the gates will reveal whether the government’s solution for this border fence problem will work. Can sliding panels in the fence controlled by passcodes allow isolated workers to cross when they need to while keeping intruders out?
Pons hopes the gates will open fast. “Because when is reinforcement going to show up?”
Some landowners also worry they’ll become kidnapping targets for smugglers seeking passage through the 18-foot-tall metal fence.
Violence has surged in Tamaulipas, the Mexican state bordering this part of Texas, in the past two years. This week the State Department issued a new travel warning urging U.S. citizens again to avoid traveling there.
Residents in this rural area often see groups of illegal immigrants passing through or smugglers toting bundles. In October, the Border Patrol caught a high-ranking member of the Gulf cartel’s Matamoros operations who had crossed about a half-hour upriver.
Gates will roll open on a metal track after a passcode is punched into a panel on or near the fence. Landowners would have permanent codes and could request temporary ones for visitors. Customs and Border Protection has begun testing its first two gates and plans to install 42 more in South Texas this year at a cost of $10 million.
For more than a year the tall steel bars and panels erected in segments on this stretch of the 1,954-mile U.S.-Mexico border created an effect that was more gap-toothed grin than impenetrable obstacle.
When the gates are closed, the Texans on the other side won’t be completely isolated, agency officials say. Border Patrol agents will continue to work both sides of the fence and can assist property owners. Many of the areas also are monitored by cameras and sensors.
But farmers point out that there is a lot the agents can’t stop. They point out dusty footprints scaling the columns and say illegal immigrants can climb the barrier in seconds flat.
“It’s the biggest waste of taxpayer money,” said Leonard Loop at his produce stand east of Brownsville, where his family farms and some relatives’ homes are in an area between the fence and the river.
Loop’s nephew Paul said he was not looking forward to the delay the gates will add to the countless trips he and his brother make between fields and the barn with their equipment. He also worried about becoming a target for smugglers eager to use the gates for large shipments. They are wide enough for farm equipment.
“Any drug dealer is going to know anyone on this side has a way out,” Paul Loop said, while crews harvested cabbage in a nearby field.
Othal Brand Jr., chairman and general manager of the Hidalgo County Water Improvement District No. 3, said he welcomes the completion of the fence even though the district’s headquarters is between the barrier and the river.
He said he’s optimistic it will help deflect illegal crossings and other illegal activity as intended.
“It’s like building a car and only putting three tires on it,” he said. “Finish it. Get it done.”
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Comments (80)
Hardcore_Conservative
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:45pmhow about we go to war with mexico and build the fence in there country so there not close to innocent people that they will continue to hurt mexico declared war by immigration on the us there is a video of the mexican president saying there not immigrants we are and that this is there land if we dont like it we can go back to england. It is long past time we show mexico who is boss and let them keep there problems on there side of the border
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:21pmI have been to the border of Texas and Mexico. We observed a tragedy in action for Texas and the US. Texas, like Arizona, can tighten that border up themselves and make a drastic change in illegal crossing but they face opposition from the obama regime. The US will not allow Texas to police it.. Me and friends were at the border area for about 2 hours and in the sector we were at we observed 18 illegals crossing. The US government is a traitor to it’s own people.
Report Post »sjohn70037
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 11:45amYou know what you call 18 illegals crossing into Texas? Target practice.
Report Post »Max jones
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:10pmThis current version of federal government is NOT able to do the right thing, it doesn’t matter what what the subject is. The only goal it will ever focus on is maintaining it’s own status. It cannot address the people’s real issues without admitting culpability. I hate that it has come to this juncture, but I feel it may be coming time to put a foot down……on the neck of the beast.
Report Post »hidden_lion
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:32pmForget the foot, time to bring the axe into play.
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:06pmI live within a 100 miles of the border of Mexico. There are more Mexicans here than in Mexico. But drones and bullets would slow the flow of them coming here. Perry is going to get the message at the next election as well as the rest of the Texas government. We need to get rid of the rewards for them coming here. That will also slow them down.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:21pmMining the border will slow them down as well and we are currently being invaded,that’s an act of war but nothing will be done until we get a president that does his duty,protect our borders.If Barry is re-installed our republic is toast and his ‘fundamental transformation of America’ will be complete.The Marxist POS must be defeated at all cost.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 8:24pmYou need a Reward System (Bounty)… to make them go!
Report Post »RLTW
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 8:36pmI say flood the rio Grand with salt water from the pacific, then fill it with saltwater crocs.
Report Post »2theADDLED
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 9:44pmBorder fences = Shovel ready jobs and I think there are enough Volunteers to do the work.
Report Post »geonj
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:59pmborder patrol and an armed populace in that area of texas would be a good start.
Report Post »border patrol with a shoot to kill engagement order might slow things down, after all it is sovereign United States land with American citizens living and working there.
Elena2010
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 1:19amWe live a mile fm the border and drive past the wall daily. We are all armed, too. Helos fly over frequently enough to make me feel like I’m back at Camp LeJeune! What we in this area do not hear that others do is the street fighting in Reynosa or Matamoros.
Pray for Mexico that it might get a grip on the violence and put the cartels out of bsns as we put gangsters out of bsns in the 30s. If they don’t, it will spill right on over. If they elect a Marxist who takes hands off the cartels, it will be like Capone’s Chicago swallowing up an entire country.
Report Post »RangerWhoop
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:56pmPlease get on google earth and take a little tour along the Rio Grande from Del Rio north all the way around the Big Bend National Park up to El Paso. Look at the terrain and then ask a simple question. How in the hell are we going to fence that border? Easy to fence from El Paso to San Diego but to fence that part of the Rio Grande would be absolutely insane. Vast amounts of US territory, that is private property would have to be confiscated by the feds and other hundreds of thousands of acres abandoned to Mexico. Anyone who advocates for a 1250 border fence between Texas and Mexico needs to go on a vacation to Texas and observe the mountains and canyons along that border.
Report Post »SoupSandwich
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:22pmSome pretty ugly spots in Korea got addressed. You put enough fat IRS agents down there to link hands and that will work too. Also gets them down to fighting weight. Beaurocrats on the border.
Report Post »We are Americans
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:25pmForget about the terrain. Just build the thing.
Report Post »You must be a leftist commie fascists Obama
lover. Lol. Never let the facts get in the way
of a good anti government rant. Build the fence
seems to be the easy answer. Facts mess stuff up
Xpressed
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 12:47amYou might be a little geographically off. I believe that New Mexico, Arizona, and California have a few mountains and canyons in them as well. Some may be a little taller and deeper than what Texas has. A fence is a bad idea I agree, there is thousands of miles of very tough ground along our border that will cause costs to sky-rocket. Instead of putting National Guardsmen on the border with a pair of binoculars, maybe a good spotting scope and some quality optics on a nice rifle would be cheaper and more effective in thier hands.
Report Post »geewhiz2180
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 9:57amIn Vietnam we used a 5‘ barbed wire fence and 20’ away from that was another. The space between the fences was filled with coiled razor wire or Concertina wire. At the Long Binh base it took 6 consecutive insurgents with explosive satchel charges attached to their body to blow through that fence. The fence shown in this article costs much more, less secure and only invites people to climb it.
Report Post »Barbed & razor wire is cheap. A razor wire fence is security, not an invitation to climb. Think about it, how do we keep prisoners in prison?
watashbuddyfriend
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:44pmPresident Ronald Reagan said to Mr. Kru… many years ago “…tear down that WALL….” Is there not a better way for the AZ/TX Mexico border?
Report Post »c.foster4722
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:26pmAS President Andrew Jackson said “ Kill them all ” Use drones!!
Report Post »ThePostman
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:25pmAnyone ever notice that the fence design plans apparently are a secret? They wouldn’t want to poke holes in their shoddy design before they spend the money to put up this useless trash.
Report Post »abbygirl1994
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:47pmElectrify the damn thing and there won’t be any problems! My question is are the protecting the TX or imprisoning them behind 18 ft fences. This is how the Jews were tricked in the ghettos,, they just kept building the exits of the town, telling the Jews they were protecting them, in the end the trucked them and then trained them to their deaths!
Report Post »whatthecrazy
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:24pmWe are totally capable of defending our borders and they(evil people running our government shhhhs)know it .They are leading us off of the cliff and though we may be bi$#@in we are moving right along ,hope it’s not a big drop!
Report Post »ThePostman
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:22pmLeave it to the government to put the fence in the wrong place. They don’t really want to make this work – it should have been built 20 ft high and 10 ft deep and made of cinder block. That type of construction would have been MUCH cheaper, and would not rust away in 20 years.
Government always mucks it up. I think they do it on purpose to create more work for themselves so they can justify even more government.
Report Post »John 1776
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:10pmStrikes me we are just giving this land to Mexico. This guy is going to be a sitting duck. Too wet for a fence? I hear they make waterproof land mines.
Report Post »Chuck Stein
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 1:02am@ John1776: “Strikes me we are just giving this land to Mexico.”
Report Post »Yes, it does. I wonder if a 5th Amendment “takings” claim has a shot.
DD313
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:08pmDid the headline to this story just change? Wasn’t it previously something blatantly obvious along the lines of “People on Wrong Side of Fence Feel Left Out?”
Report Post »Halloween
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 12:01amSo what if it was?
Report Post »ken777
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:56pmAmerica better wake up. The violence has already cross the river into Texas. everyday the violance is growing. I see it everyday. I llive on the border just a mile or so north of the Rio Grand. My wife and myself carry hand guns everyday.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:09pmStart a Community Watch… and hire Enforcement!
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:51pmJust mine the border and shoot anyone who tries to cross illegally and when the Rio Grande runs red they’ll take the hint.
Report Post »Blazer123
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:15pmor instead of killing people we could let the hippies (anybody who likes the crazy weed) grow their own pot and put the cartels out of business because they would no longer have the ridiculously inflated prices that prohibition causes. We could take the 40% of our criminal justice budget that goes to catching, prosecuting, and incarcerating potheads and secure our border. The potheads will probably just end up sitting on the couch playing xBox instead of going to jail so us Christians won’t even notice a difference.
Report Post »I.Gaspar
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:50pmIt’s southern Texas…lots of sunny days.
Report Post »They could electrify it with solar panels….a win-win, for those who want a safe America…and the greenie weenies.
Baddoggy
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:45pmElectrify iot with solar panels? Why not just tickle them as they come across too?
Report Post »Razorhunters
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:49pm10,000 citizens / military
Control of satellites and a few modified cobra’s…
Me and mine could shut the Texas illegal border activity down.
no fences needed.
Report Post »texasfireguy
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:22pmThat works out to about 8 people per mile of border. Thats assuming that they all work 12 hr shifts, 4 on duty at a time, that equals a pretty thin security screen.
Report Post »Razorhunters
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:28pmNot with the Satellites …be amazed at what they can detect,
Send Cobra’s for enforcement.
would prefer to have more manpower , apache’s ,4wheelers and horses…but go with minimum, may be max can get.
Report Post »Razorhunters
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:31pmso much new tech stuff…before had to actually hunt and track the sobs down.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:46pmYou are going to have to go back to… Stephen Austin’s “Texas Rangers”… as Vigilantes… who patroled and dealt out Justice!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:58pmOh… and dress them up like Indians!
Report Post »TheObamanation
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:41pmSo who’s idea was this ? Tony Bennett ?
Report Post »ShyLow
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:39pmBig waste of money…People are just going to climb over,cut through,or tunnel under it…Put up a sign that reads invaders will be shot…and shoot them…it will only take a few till the message is sent…if people want to leave let them leave and hang their citizen-ship on the door
Report Post »onthefrontline
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:52pmThe DOJ are locking up our own just for handcuffing illegals..
Report Post »Shoot em’ HELL you want to go to JAIL ?? This Administration
has our Law Enforcement’s hands tied, ask Sheriff Joe and
Sheriff Babeu ..DOJ suing the State of Arizona for enforcing
immigration laws on the books…..is that cool or what…….
Obamanation !!!! ……ABO-2012…..we need SB1070
therealconservative
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 9:46pm@ONTHEFRONT
Your spot on, but you forgot my sheriff, Larry Dever, Cochise County.
Report Post »Bill Rowland
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 7:02amDon’t forget Roger Barnett who was sued for holding UDAs he caught on his ranch. They clamed he caused delayed stress syndrome and they won. Sheriff Joe and Babu get the publicity, Larry Dever and his deputies have 86 miles of border where the only obstacle is a barbed wire fence. They found the first of the tunnels in Douglas, AZ in the late 80s.
These guys aren’t getting thr recognition and publicity that Sheriff Joe and Babu get, but they are as dedicated a bunch as you will find.
OMG
Report Post »ken777
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:38pmAmerica better wake up. the violence is already on the Texas side of the Rio Grand.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:37pmWhat they need is one Sniper. After the first two shots. The word will spread faster than Madona’s legs.
Report Post »justangry
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:43pmeew
Report Post »Welcome Black Carter
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 10:43pmNow you’re talking… shoot twice when lulac shows up.
Report Post »assertiveconservative
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:34pmGee,that looks pretty easy to scale with your average grapple hook! Looks like alot of gated communities I’ve seen.Another great example of government ineptitude.
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:28pmIm an old fart. They call that a fence? That could not keep anyone out, hell I could climb that fence. Good grief why did we waste money on that. Unless the thing is electrified it is useless. Let me design the fence. No one wouls survive the ordeal to get over it…
Report Post »SERUM
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:15pmSounds like you‘d be good for the kiddie parties filling balloons with all that hot air you blowin’…
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:42pmI have seen your posts…You are the one that blows.
Report Post »Buck Shane
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:58pm@ Baddoggy
Report Post »This is not a complement, but I believe a formidable fence could be built and I believe you could design one. But then, I believe any non-government employee could.
The objective, though, is to stop the illegal invasion. This could be done without any fence.
If every one caught is automatically sentenced to one year in a Sheriff Joe camp, and if E-verify is actually set up to work, and penalties for employers who hire them, there will be no reason to come, and a big penalty for being caught. Second offense, five years.
SERUM
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 9:28pm@Buck Shane
Sounds like a great idea, and how about put them into labor camps (nothing skillfull), so they actually producing for their, instead eating away our tax dollars!
Report Post »therealconservative
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 9:42pm@ Bad
I see your still talking a good game (BS). But as a Paul “Follower” your a Pacifist, and don’t believe in a fence or BP. I bet the closest you’ve been to the boarder is Taco Bell. BTW I live in Hereford AZ. look it up.
Report Post »POdVet
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 12:05pm@BuckShane The President can’t pass an E-verify check, so that‘s not going to happen while he’s in office!
Report Post »Stehekin912
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:28pmSurely there must be a better way. Can we not deploy troops along our border and not leave miles of our country and our citizens unprotected? Is there not some better way to handle this than building fences that trap our own people and abandon our own land? Think!
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:29pmUr Goobermint at wurk…
Report Post »liberalescheisskopf
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 8:09pmTell Michelle they taste like chicken…..
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