Build the Wall of Perception: It's the Smart Move

U.S.-Mexico Border Wall

The big problems with the much-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border are that it:

1. Takes time to design, approve, and build.
2. Costs a bunch of money to build and maintain.
3. Spoils the scenery.
4. Disrupts natural flows.

Air, water, and wildlife have a natural flow, after all. One day it might even be necessary to move a number of human beings across the border (either way) for military or humanitarian reasons.

An extended physical wall is also difficult and expensive to update and upgrade over time. 

What a wall doesn't protect us against

Most importantly to this discussion, a physical wall along the Mexican border does not protect us against those who illegally:

1. Go around the wall.
2. Tunnel under the wall.
3. Fly high above the wall.

In fact, it encourages exactly this sort of evasion.

Enforcing existing laws creates a wall

We have prevailing laws that protect against illegal immigration — and protect us from related misbehavior. When properly enforced these laws create a "wall of perception" that says to those:

1. Thinking of entering the country illegally, "Don't!"; and
2. Who are already here illegally, "Leave!"

The effect of building this wall of perception is already clear. In the few months since the installation of a new president in the Oval Office in January 2017, a national leader intent on reducing illegal immigration and enforcing related laws, unwanted traffic across the Mexico border has dropped 70%. 

Enforcement protects us everywhere

A physical wall along one border does not. Instead, it encourages entry somewhere else along our many border miles elsewhere:

1. Our Lower-48 states share a 3,987-mile border with Canada to the north, and
2. A 1,538-mile border surrounding Alaska.
3. The length of all our shorelines totals 95,471 miles.*

These are exposed national border miles that a wall along the Mexico border does not protect — and which those deterred by such a wall are further encouraged to try.

Enforcement of the laws works on those who evade a border wall, while continuing to press on already-resident border jumpers. 

Technology adds to the wall

Instead of building a solid, unbroken border wall, towers packed with detection equipment might be spaced along the Mexican border:

1. The towers would be connected underground by above- and below-ground (tunneling) detection devices. 
2. At the top of each tower would be drone platforms (some tethered**) for continuous surveillance runs and immediate-response to alerts.
3. Detection devices would be positioned at top of towers for help with low-flying aircraft — including drones. 

Other robots can used to aid interdiction, too.

Protection that relies on technology can be upgraded easily as science progresses. And use of surveillance technology adds to the sense that somebody's watching at all times. Such technology can be developed and tested along one border and subsequently applied elsewhere.

The smart move

Build the Wall of Perception by enforcing prevailing laws and applying technology appropriately. It's the smart move.

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*The National Ocean Service reaches that enormous number by adding together all the inches of exposure around our Atlantic, Pacific, Hawaii, and other shorelines.
**Persistent Aerial Reconnaissance and Communications (PARC) drones stay up in the air indefinitely, and fly up to 500 feet from base, attached by a microfilament that transmits power and data.