[JURIST] US Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) [official website] said this week that the incoming 110th Congress will review the Secure Fence Act of 2006 [PDF text; HR 6061 summary] and may scrap the plan after the new Democrat-controlled Congress convenes January 3, 2007. The bill, if implemented, will result in additional fencing of approximately 700 miles [JURIST news archive] along the US-Mexico border. Speaking to reporters, Thompson cited the Department of Homeland Security's Secure Border Initiative [DHS fact sheet; Global Security backgrounder], which uses surveillance systems instead of a physical barrier, as a possible alternative to the fencing plan.

President Bush signed [JURIST report] the controversial fencing bill in late October. The Mexican government has voiced strong opposition to it [JURIST report], saying it will complicate US-Mexico relations [Mexico MFA press release]. UPI has more.