Is fencing at the U.S.-Mexico border an effective immigration policy?

Although the fence will channel the illegal immigrants to the areas where border patrol can seize them, it is not an effective immigration policy. The fence is not able to keep illegal immigrants from going around it, climbing over it, or digging under it; furthermore, it only covers one-third of the border.
The US Mexico border is roughly 2,000 miles long. The fence, constructed by The Department of Homeland Security, is 18 feet high, 700 miles long, and built mostly near urban areas. A fence alone is not the solution because there are so many ways to overcome the obstacle, going to the areas not fenced, vehicle smuggling, and climbing. The other accessible way around the fence is to dig under it. Global Security.org has sited 40 tunnels were being burrowed under the fence between 2001 and 2006.
The main reason I believe the reason the fencing is not an effective immigration policy is because there is not the manpower to monitor all the fence points. There is no way to have all the people needed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to make sure no one is entering our country illegally. What draws these immigrants to make such a risk to cross the border into the United States? They believe they can make more money to send to their families in Mexico. They also believe, because we are a free country, we have more to offer them than their county. We are “the land of the free, home of the brave.”

Fencing at the U.S.-Mexico border is an effective immigration policy.

Even though illegal immigrants will find ways to get around the fence, it is an effective immigration policy. The goal is to detect intrusions and to rapidly respond and resolve the situation by apprehension. Fences are a key component to that strategy.
The US-Mexico border is roughly 2000 miles. Of that, the Department of Homeland Security has built approx 700 miles of the 18-foot high fence mostly in or near urban areas. This fence is an important because it helps our border patrol agents on the ground and has a tactical advantage over the smugglers on the southern side of the border. In the urban settings, such as El Paso, Texas and San Diego, California, the fence has proven to be quite effective in the stemming the flow of illegal entry. Having the fence in urban locations lowers the risk in high traffic areas and will channel the immigrants to remote deserts to cross, where annually 400 die trying to cross in these terrains. This seems to be a substantial deterrent to avoid trying to cross the border illegally.
The fencing can provide a physical presence accompanied by our border patrol and the help of the National Guard. We will be able to gain control of the illegal immigrants trying to cross over. By employing 21st century technology along with making wise use of the fencing, we will be helping our border patrol agents do their job and keeping those from illegally crossing over. The first step to solve our illegal immigration problem is to secure our borders. Fencing is clearly the most efficient and logical answer.

Goff, L. (2010). Border Control. Readers Digest, 2/10, 116-119.