U.S. wants to build fences at Canadian border

Sun, 18 Dec 2005 13:19:18 -0800

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Add the spectre of security walls rising along “the world’s longest undefended border” to a federal election campaign already being driven by debate about Canada’s relations with the United States.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted late Thursday night to consider erecting “physical barriers” along the American border with Canada, the firmest step yet toward building the kinds of fences now in place on the Mexican frontier to stop the northward flow of illegal aliens and smuggled goods.

The directive to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was passed by a strong majority of the House and was contained in an amendment to a controversial immigration bill working its way through Congress. The motion cleared the way for about 1,100 kilometres of new fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, but also urged the agency to “conduct a study on the use of physical barriers along the northern border.”

Clashes between Prime Minister Paul Martin and U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins over climate change, handguns and softwood lumber—prompting Mr. Martin’s stump-speech pledge not to be “dictated to” by the U.S.—have soured U.S.-Canada relations and prompted opposition claims the Liberals are recklessly provoking conflicts to win votes.

Yesterday, a spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan, who is responsible for handling cross-border security issues in the federal cabinet, said barriers have not been part of Canada’s security strategy and have not been raised in bilateral discussions with the U.S.

“Given the size of the border, you’re not going to have a wall all along the border,” said Alex Swann, noting that “static” defences are widely viewed as less effective than risk-reduction measures such as identity cards.

“You never rule out anything in the security game,” he added, but “it’s not a priority for us.”

Sponsored by Representative Duncan Hunter, a California Republican who has long championed fences and walls to halt illegal crossings in the southwestern U.S., the plan to shore up U.S. borders passed by a vote of 260-159 on Thursday but was strongly denounced by some Democrats as a “Berlin Wall” for North America.

“America with walls between Canada and Mexico is not an America that reaches out for people to come here legally,” argued Representative Sam Farr, a California Democrat.

Mr. Farr’s press secretary, Jessica Schafer, said yesterday that the congressman will keep fighting to have the fence provisions stripped from the final legislation.

“This would be a massive change in how the borders with Canada and Mexico operate,” she said. “Canada is supposed to be our friend. Why in the world would we do this?”

Representative James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, one of the strongest proponents of the immigration bill and a backer of the Hunter amendment, said during Thursday’s debate: “Our nation has lost control of its borders, which has resulted in a sharp increase in illegal immigration and has left us vulnerable to infiltration by terrorists and criminals.”

There is a strong belief among many in the U.S. that Canada serves as a conduit for anti-American terrorists. Despite false suggestions that several of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers had entered the U.S. from Canada, the thwarting of Montreal-based “millennium bomber” Ahmed Ressam’s planned attack on the Los Angeles airport in 2000 has fixed Canada as a haven for terrorists in the minds of many Americans.

Earlier this year, the Minutemen volunteer border brigade drew controversy and accusations of being xenophobic vigilantes when it carried out its first northern patrols. And a grassroots U.S. lobby group called Let Freedom Ring—which runs the website WeNeedaFence.com and is strongly backing Mr. Hunter’s proposals—has also urged consideration of barriers along the U.S.-Canada border.

Last month, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced a secure-border initiative that provided for increased use of unmanned “drone” aircraft, infrared cameras and other high-tech surveillance measures, as well as increased staffing, to patrol the Mexican and Canadian borders.

But driven by concerns in the U.S. southwest about the tide of illegal immigrants and goods, and touting the effectiveness of an existing barrier near San Diego, Mr. Hunter has pressed lawmakers to approve widespread border fencing as a national security imperative.

Mr. Hunter, who is also chairman of the powerful House Armed Services Committee, claimed Thursday that a wall between San Diego and Tijuana has “cut down on murders, it’s cut down on smuggling, and it’s brought order on both sides of the border.”

Even before passage of Mr. Hunter’s proposal, Mexican President Vicente Fox had denounced border fencing as a “disgraceful and shameful” initiative that violates human rights and does nothing for the U.S. economy. He has urged Congress to grant legal status to millions of Mexican illegals now living in the U.S.

Canada and the U.S. have long and proudly promoted their shared management of the world’s longest “undefended” border. But the official terminology describing the boundary has been undergoing an adjustment recently to avoid leaving the impression of a frontier that’s undefended against terrorism.

American Liberals Sneaking Across Border Into Canada Illegal ImmigrantsAuthor Unknown11-24-04

The flood of American liberals sneaking across the border into Canada has intensified in the past week, sparking calls for increased patrols to stop the illegal immigration.

The re-election of President Bush is prompting the exodus among Left leaning citizens who fear they'll soon be required to hunt, pray and agree with Bill O' Reilly.

Canadian border farmers say its not uncommon to see dozens of sociology professors, animal rights activists and Unitarians crossing their fields at night.

I went out to milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the barn," said Manitoba farmer Red Greenfield, whose acreage borders North Dakota. The producer was cold, exhausted and hungry. He asked me if I could spare a latte and some free-range chicken. When I said I didn't have any, he left. Didn't even get a chance to show him my screenplay, eh?"

In an effort to stop the illegal aliens, Greenfield erected higher fences but the liberals scaled them. So he tried installing speakers that blare Rush Limbaugh across the fields.

Not real effective," he said. The liberals still got through, and Rush annoyed the cows so much they wouldn't give milk."

Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet liberals Near the Canadian border, pack them into Volvo station wagons, drive them across the border and leave them to fend for themselves.

A lot of these people are not prepared for rugged conditions," an Ontario border patrolman said. I found one carload without a drop of drinking water. They did have a nice little Napa Valley cabernet, though."

When liberals are caught, they're sent back across the border, often Wailing loudly that they fear retribution from conservatives. Rumors have been circulating about the Bush administration establishing re-education camps in which liberals will be forced to drink domestic beer and watch NASCAR.

In the days since the election, liberals have turned to sometimes ingenious ways of crossing the border.

Some have taken to posing as senior citizens on bus trips to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs. After catching a half-dozen young vegans disguised in powdered wigs, Canadian immigration authorities began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed senior-citizen passengers.

If they can't identify the accordion player on The Lawrence Welk Show, We get suspicious about their age," an official said.

Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal immigrants are Creating an organic-broccoli shortage and renting all the good Susan Sarandon movies.

I feel sorry for American liberals, but the Canadian economy just cant support them," an Ottawa resident said. How many art-history majors does one country need?"

In an effort to ease tensions between the United States and Canada, Vice President Dick Cheney met with the Canadian ambassador and pledged that the administration would take steps to reassure liberals, a source close to Cheney said.

We're going to have some Peter, Paul & Mary concerts. And we might put some endangered species on postage stamps. The president is determined to reach out."