Trump's Wall

            Donald Trump campaigned on building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and he appears determined to build it. However, Congress is not cooperating very well. It seems that all Americans would want to protect the sovereignty of the United States, but Democrats and some Republicans are fighting against the wall. In order to fund the government and keep it from shutting down, Trump willingly withdrew his demand that funding for a wall be included in the 2017 spending plan, but I expect that he has another plan to fund the wall.

            Meanwhile, Hungary has shown the importance of building barriers along the border. In September 2015 thousands of migrants per day, sometimes up to ten thousands a day, were crossing Hungary to reach Austria, Germany, and Scandinavia. Laszlo Toroczkai, the mayor of Asotthalom, called it an “invasion” and “not a normal thing to break into a country.” He decided to do something about it, and he was supported by the government.

            Hungary built a fence to stop illegal immigration across their country. Their neighbors are not happy about it, but the fence protects Hungarians from illegal immigrants, which is the government’s responsibility to do. The first fence worked so well that Hungary built a second one, as reported by Jacob Bojesson, Foreign Correspondent at The Daily Signal. 

Hungary’s second border fence has just been completed in the southern town of Asotthalom. The 96-mile long, 14 ft. tall double-line of defense doesn’t look too intimidating from a distance. Go a little closer and you’ll notice several layers of razor-wire capable of delivering electric shocks, cameras, heat sensors and loud speakers ready to tell migrants they’re about to break Hungarian law if they as much as touch the fence.

            Hungary did not stop at building the fence. They added several hundred military officers and others to guard the border 24 hours per day. They set up temporary bases to house the military officers. Most police officers in the nation rotate through a program to protect the border at all times. Volunteers are being trained to deploy as “border hunters” and will be paid while on deployment. The guards are charged with keeping everyone without permission away from the fence for security reasons.

            Migrants who happen to get across the border are caught and deported without any opportunity to claim asylum. Bojesson claims that the “results were staggering. The influx went down from 6,353 one day to 870 the next. Illegal border crossings were steadily below 40 per day throughout the rest of the month.” 
            

            The United States has some experience with the effect of barriers along the border. The San Diego Border Patrol sector was once one of the busiest sectors along the border with Mexico. In 1986 this area accounted for nearly one-third of all the apprehensions along the border. A fence was built in the sector in the early 1990s, which has decreased the apprehensions there. The Daily Signal sent a reporter to the area to find out why the fence had such a dramatic effect. 

            Considering that approximately 4,000 illegal aliens cross the southern U.S. border each day, I would think that the United States would look to Hungary for an example. The leaders in Hungary decided that even one illegal immigrant was too many, and they cooperated to close the border. Wouldn’t it be nice if all the members of Congress would open their eyes enough to recognize the need for a barrier along the border and then work together to build one?