Maintaining Walls: Environmental and Social Impacts of the U.S.-Mexico Border Fence
Keywords:
U.S.-Mexico border, borderlands, immigration, Eagle Pass-Piedras NegrasAbstract
Between 2006 and 2009, the U.S. government constructed 1,100 kilometers of fence along the U.S.-Mexico border in an effort to deter illegal immigration and illicit activity. The fence was constructed in sections along highly populated areas, and not as one continuous wall. In addition, the Real ID Act of 2005 and Secure Fence Act of 2006 allowed the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive all environmental laws in relation to fence construction. In light of President Trump's ongoing calls for a new round of fence building, we examine the impact of the fence on communities in the border region. Through semi structured interviews, recurring visits, and participant observation in 2009 during the fence's construction and again in 2015, we examine how the fence has impacted the city of Eagle Pass, Texas and its sister community across the border, Piedras Negras, Coahuila. Approximately 4.8 kilometers of fence was built in eight segments between Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras between 2008 and 2009. At the time of its construction, many of the residents of the predominately Mexican-American community viewed the fence negatively and expressed concerns over how connections with Piedras Negras might be impacted. While we find that Eagle Pass residents continue to view the fence negatively in terms of both its social and environmental impacts, and consider it ineffective given its cost and inability to deter undocumented immigration, the century long relationship between the two communities has remained strong.References
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