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The border wall

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  • Gabe Semenza •
  • Originally published June 29, 2009 at 10:54 a.m., updated June 29, 2009 at 10:53 a.m.

The border wall stands in the Rio Grande Valley like a steel reminder: The U.S. immigration system, and Mexico's economy, need reinforcement.

Federal contractors planted rusted steel pickets, which climb 20-feet in spans ranging from Brownsville to Granejo, all along the low-lying river delta.

As the fence went up, so, too, did the outrage.

Eloisa Tamez, a 74-year-old widow, grasps now to her last shreds of land, soil owned by her family for more than 240 years. Her plot is split in two by the border fence, cutting access to ground she picked tomatoes from as a child.

Her emotional battle is not unlike that endured by 300 other Texans the government sued to take their land. The group now fights for fair compensation.

As historic courtroom battles continue, so, too, does the fight against illegal immigration.

As contractors install the last 30-mile stretch of wall four hours south of Victoria, a new debate emerges.

Now that the wall is up, is it effective and was it worth the multi-billion-dollar price tag? Will the wall change the shape of the Fatal Funnel?



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