The Bush administration's plan to outfit the U.S.-Mexico border with a "virtual" fence consisting of sensors, cameras, and drone aircraft is running into technical snags.
Federal officials told a congressional committee on Wednesday that the first phase of the project--consisting of about 100 miles near Yuma and Tuscon, Ariz., and El Paso, Texas--won't likely be completed until 2011, about three years later than expected, according to The Washington Post. The task is being overseen by the Department of Homeland Security and has been contracted out to Boeing.
For years, the Bush administration has been heralding the concept of a "high-tech" fence as a sophisticated, 21st-century way to help border patrol agents nab foreigners trying to sneak into the country--and supplement physical fences, which are also in the works. In 2006, it estimated that it would cost $7.6 billion to secure the entire 2,000-mile southern border. Critics, including Democrats in Congress, charge the effort has been wasteful and poorly executed so far, and civil libertarians have raised questions about privacy.
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Importance: This article concerns the implementation of a new high tech security border that would supposedly be less expensive and more efficient. It cannot be completed until 2011. Many have said it is a poorly resoned plan. Look here for future updates.
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