'Virtual fence' on border wins final federal approval

[The Straight Story]

'Virtual fence' on border wins final federal approval
By Eileen Sullivan, Associated Press February 22, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A 28-mile "virtual fence" that will use radars and surveillance cameras to try to catch people entering the country illegally has gotten final government approval.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced approval of the fence on Friday. The fence, built by the Boeing Co., uses technology the government plans to extend to other areas of the Arizona border, as well as to sections of Texas. The projects could get under way as early as this summer, said department spokeswoman Laura Keehner.

The virtual fence is part of a national plan to secure the southwest border with physical barriers and high-tech detection capabilities intended to stop illegal immigrants on foot and drug smugglers in vehicles. As of Thursday, 302 miles of fencing had been constructed.

Chertoff said the virtual fence already is working.

On Feb. 13, an officer in a Tucson command center - 70 miles from the border - noticed a group of about 100 people gathered at the border. The officer notified agents on the ground and in the air. Border Patrol caught 38 of the 100 people who tried to cross illegally, and the others went back into Mexico, said a Homeland Security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he isn't authorized to speak publicly.

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39345&dcn=todaysnews

Don't need a damned fence of any type - by the time is done fucking up this country no one will want to come here.