Today, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced support for a proposal to enhance the existing levee structure along 22 miles of the Rio Grande River in Hidalgo County, Texas. The construction of a concrete retaining wall along land owned by the International Boundary and Water Commission will address flood control and meet U.S. Border Patrol security requirements as part of the Secure Fence Act. The accord between DHS and Hidalgo County comes after the passage of a measure included by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison in the 2007 Omnibus Appropriations Act, which requires DHS to consult with stakeholders in order for the department to receive funding for construction. Cameron County in Texas has put forward a similar proposal to DHS.
Since Congress mandated the construction of the physical fence in 2006, the Border Trade Alliance (BTA) has continued to bring the concerns of border communities, land owners and other stakeholders impacted by the fence to DHS to ensure that issues such as site selection and access to water rights are appropriately addressed. The BTA opposed the Secure Fence Act on the basis that the legislation was not an efficient use of limited federal resources to secure our borders. According to the non-partisan Congressional Research Service, which quotes a study conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, estimates for yearly maintenance costs per mile of fencing range from $1,742 to $17,753, depending upon the amount of wear and damage sustained.
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