There are many people who believe that a fence between the border of Mexico and the United States is the answer to all illegal immigration problems.  Unfortunately, these people do not understand that a border fence may create as many problems as it solves.  In fact, in many areas where there already is a fence on the border, some of the problems have become apparent.  The truth is that there is not an easy solution to the problem of people crossing the border illegally.  Here is a look at some of the pros and cons of having a border fence between the United States and Mexico. 

*Pros

A border fence would give those people who want one a sense of security.  It would also take longer for those who want to cross the border illegally to do so, increasing the likelihood that they will get caught.  It would clearly delineate the borders between the two countries, making it easy to tell where they are.  It may help those who patrol the borders to keep better track of who is crossing.

*Cons

There are far more cons than pros to having a border fence.  People who are determined to cross the border are going to anyway, with or without a fence.  If they see the fence in their way, they are likely to climb over it, or burrow beneath it to cross.  It does take longer to get across that way, but they will still get across if they are determined.  It may give people a false sense of security, causing border patrol officers to become complacent.  With the borders so clearly delineated, it may cause some people, who are vehemently opposed to illegal immigration to think they can take the law into their own hands, and cause them to hurt people who are only trying to make better lives for themselves and for their families.

There really is no easy solution to the problem of illegal immigration in the United States.  The U.S. has to strike a balance between being tough on immigration and continuing to be the melting pot that it has become known as.  This is a difficult balance to keep up, but this is the ideal that the United States was created on.  Even for those people not coming through Ellis Island, the poem at the base of the Statue of Liberty still rings true for many people who are seeking a better life.  “Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free.”