The United States Department of Homeland Security will not complete the US-Mexico Border fence by its deadline this year. The announcement came from Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff yesterday who said that 370 miles of the planned 670 mile fence had been erected. Mysteriously, Chertoff said he hoped to have 90 - 95% of the fence in place by the time the Bush Administration leaves office in January 2009, a high benchmark to shoot for considering only 55% of the project is finished with 3 months until the inauguration of a new President come next year.
This is one of the more shameful public works projects in the history of this country. In the 1930s the United States used to build bridges and roads to bring people together, under the Bush Administration the biggest project undertaken has been a barrier to keep people out. The fence, and the policies, that surround it have been remarkably successful at least one respect though - dooming Republican fortunes in elections across the country. While in the 2000 and 2004 elections Latin American voters polled much closer parity in their preference of a political party at the voting booth, in the 2008 election Hispanics are more likely to vote for Democrats by a staggering 2-to-1 margin. Meanwhile the Bush Administration and its deregulatory policies have had the unintended consequence of slowing immigration into this country by sinking the US economy to the point where immigrants feel they might just be better off back home.
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On Wednesday The New York Times (and many other news outlets) reported on an immigration/borders story that I worry many folks missed. The below paragraph really says it all: