Jack Martin [Special Project Director, Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)]: "At this point, the border fencing law signed by President Bush Thursday is largely symbolic, although important. The legislation sends the message abroad that we intend to defend our borders against illegal immigration. It is symbolic because little more than a start on the project can be made on the basis of the border enforcement appropriation passed earlier. This means that work on the fencing will depend on future appropriations and will be debated anew in terms of other national priorities.

FAIR believes that the strongest deterrence to illegal immigration will come not from extending the already existing fencing on the border, but rather from turning off the job magnet that draws illegal immigrants. When jobs are effectively denied to illegal workers, employers are punished if they break the law and knowingly hire illegal workers, fencing is extended to the current major drug and people smuggling routes, and other related reforms such as federal-local enforcement cooperation are implemented, we hope to see restored an environment in which all foreigners in our country as immigrants or visitors can be welcomed as invited without suspicion that they have broken our laws."