Virtual Fence, Star Wars, and the Obama Enforcement Mantra

The Obama administration continues to demonstrate its commitment to increased enforcement as a first step (we hope!) toward building political support for immigration reform.   It recently announced the resumption of a “virtual fence” on the U.S.-Mexican border, thereby sending “a powerful message of continuity with President George W. Bush, who included a pledge to secure the border as part of a 2006 effort to persuade Congress to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws.”

BTW does this “virtual fence,” high tech border enforcement strategy sound anything to you like President Reagan’s “Star Wars” defense strategy, which ultimately was scrapped because the  technology did not work?

Department of Homeland Security officials have outlined a five-year, multibillion-dollar plan to link a chain of tower-mounted sensors and other surveillance equipment over most of U.S./Mexico border. The new technology is intended to speed deployment of U.S. Border Patrol officers.  DHS officials clain to have “learned lessons” from the technical problems that dogged the Bush administration.

Along similar lines, recent news reports have outlined the DHS Secretary Napolitano’s efforts to tighten the border with Canada. 

KJ