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Battle Over US-Mexico Border Fence Continues

 More On The Immigration Debate

AUSTIN (AP) ― Leaders of the Texas Border Coalition, again voicing opposition to a border fence, said Wednesday federal officials have assured them local communities will get a say in construction of any barrier between Texas and Mexico.

Border leaders, meanwhile, will keep explaining to the rest of the country and Congress that a border fence or wall would hurt cross-border commerce and wouldn't stop illegal immigrants, said Mike Allen of McAllen, vice chairman of the coalition.

"If they can swim the river, they can certainly climb a wall," Allen said. "It just is not going to be productive. It will not help."

Uproar over a border fence in Texas arose last week after a new map emerged showing federal plans for a fence. Texas community leaders said they'd earlier been told they would be allowed input before any fence plan went forward.

Since then, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner has told coalition members the map they'd seen was developed early on and is no longer applicable, Allen said.

In San Antonio, Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar repeated that point Wednesday. He told reporters after speaking at a border security conference that a map released last week showing plans for 370 miles of border fence was a "starting point."

"We know that fence is going to be necessary, absolutely necessary, in some parts of the border," he said. "That's why right now it is so critical that we work with the communities at a starting point to say, 'This is what we're looking at doing.' Not fence -- this is the solution set that we're bringing, the high tech solution set, the system of systems. And within that system of systems we may have a need, or we will have a need, for fences."

Asked whether the 370 miles of fence could be configured differently, Aguilar said, "Oh, absolutely."

The map showed Texas having 153 miles of the fence along its border.

Mayors, business people and others in the Texas Border Coalition say a fence, in addition to hurting business, could harm farm irrigation, ranching operations, river flow and wildlife.

Unlike Arizona and New Mexico, Texas has the benefit of the Rio Grande as an international border, they say, suggesting that its banks should be cleared of brush and the river better used as a tool in stopping illegal immigration.

"It's a natural boundary," said Chad Foster, mayor of Eagle Pass and border coalition chairman. "We have this wonderful natural resource as our natural boundary."

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