• Originally published June 27, 2009 at 11:09 p.m., updated June 27, 2009 at 11:09 p.m.

As a 26-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol and as chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I am acutely aware of the challenges confronting our country in the area of border security.

During my career, I patrolled the rough terrain of the U.S.-Mexico border region, supervised thousands of hard-working, dedicated Border Patrol agents, and initiated "Operation Hold the Line," a successful deterrence strategy that dramatically decreased the number of unlawful entries into the U.S. I also supported the strategic placement of fencing along targeted areas of the border to augment enforcement operations. However, I feel strongly that efforts under the previous administration to erect almost 700 miles of fencing on our southern border were wasteful, irresponsible and unnecessary, which is why I voted against the Secure Fence Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Hundreds of miles of fencing will do little to curb the flow of undocumented immigrants or to protect our citizens from threats such as the ongoing drug-related violence in Mexico, and provides only a false sense of security. The cost of construction for the fence thus far is estimated at over $2.1 billion, and a Corps of Engineers study predicted the 25-year life cycle cost of maintaining border fencing would range from $16.4 million to $70 million. The cost for construction and maintenance of this border fence would be better invested in additional resources for the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol, including additional agents, equipment and technology.

As the only member of Congress with a background in border law enforcement, I have worked to persuade my colleagues that passing comprehensive immigration reform legislation is the most effective way to secure our borders. From a national security perspective, we need comprehensive immigration reform to bring the estimated nine to 12 million people out of the shadows so we can focus our efforts on the select few who may pose a security risk. The previous administration focused their border security efforts on the areas between ports of entry and failed to provide a comprehensive strategy to effectively meet the 21st century challenges that confront our nation.

In June, President Obama unveiled a new National Southwest Border Strategy that moves beyond the enforcement-only approach of the past toward a more comprehensive strategy to secure our borders. The plan provides a pragmatic approach to secure our borders not just through enforcement, but also through increased resources for intelligence gathering and sharing and greater cooperation with Mexican law enforcement.

We must still do more to improve security at our ports of entry. Unfortunately, the problems I dealt with as sector chief of the U.S. Border Patrol are the same as today - we need more manpower, more resources and better infrastructure to keep America's borders secure, particularly at our ports of entry.

For too long, Washington has failed to dedicate the resources necessary to strengthen the security at our nation's ports of entry. For this reason, I introduced the Putting Our Resources Toward Security Act, a bill that would add 5,000 Customs and Border Protection officers to fully staff all inspection booths at all of America's ports of entry and would also invest $5 billion over five years to modernize our border security infrastructure, such as international bridges and inspection facilities to meet the current threats and challenges that endanger our national security.

The border fence has failed to cut the flow of drugs, weapons and money that are illegally smuggled between the U.S. and Mexico, and I believe will do little to enhance our security over the long term. Our nation needs a comprehensive immigration reform plan with three main components: a path to legalization for those who qualify; strengthened border security; and a guest-worker program. Hundreds of miles of border fencing as a response to our complex immigration situation and border security needs is simply not the answer.

Silvestre Reyes is a Democratic congressman from El Paso.

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