Sky News: America Moves To Fence Off Mexico

Sky News: America Moves To Fence Off Mexico: "US National Guard working at the new border fence
US National Guard working at the new border fence
US To Fence Off Mexico
Updated: 07:49, Saturday September 30, 2006

The American Senate has approved plans to build a 700 mile long fence along the border with Mexico to stem the flow of illegal immigrants.

Around 1.2 million illegal immigrants were arrested last year trying to cross into the United States.

The Mexican government has expressed what it calls 'profound concern' about the fence.

The Republican-authored bill was one of the last to clear Congress ahead of congressional elections.

President Bush had favoured immigration legislation creating a guest-worker programme to help fill jobs Americans are either unable or unwilling to do.

But he faced opposition from a solid group of Republicans who pushed for tougher enforcement and border measures instead.

A separate bill approved on Friday provided an initial $1.2bn (£641m) in funding for the fence and other border-security measures for the coming year.

The broad spending bill also criminalises the construction of tunnels that could be secret passageways from Mexico or Canada for drug smugglers, illegal aliens or terrorists.

Opponents of the fence said it would be expensive and was not an effective deterrent to illegal immigration."