Bush Signs Fence Bill, Pushes Back

President George Bush signed a bill that authorizes 700 miles of fence but does not cover costs. Critics on all sides questioned whether the bill may have been designed to shore up support for candidates favored by the president in the upcoming November 7 US congressional elections. Both Mexico’s president and president-elect lashed out against the plan, calling it an “embarrassment” for the US and comparing the fence to the Berlin Wall built to divide Germany after World War II. Environmental, trade, agriculture and tourist representatives question the value of the fence and suggest it could ultimately hurt the US economy. Even the US president questions the fence as a priority, repeating his preference for measures beyond enforcement, including a guest-worker program that would allow workers into the country temporarily and a citizenship path for 12 million illegal immigrants already in the nation. – YaleGlobal