Harkin opposes compromise calling for more border fences

It's not just the cost of maintaining a fence along the U.S.-Mexican border that keeps Sen. Tom Harkin from supporting a compromise that has improved prospects for immigration reform.

“This idea of building a fence from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean is just a bad idea,” Harkin told reporters after key senators announced a compromise had been reached that called for building 700 miles of fence and doubling the number of federal agents patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Quite frankly, this idea that somehow we're going to build a fence all along our border with Mexico doesn't make sense,” he said. “It doesn't look good for us as Americans.”

Harkin voted to table an amendment by Sen. John Cornyn to increase the number of Border Patrol agents by 5,000 Thursday.

The new deal worked out by Republican Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee, and John Hoeven of North Dakota, would require the construction of 700 miles of border fencing and provide money for aerial drones, according to reports. It is believed the deal would increase support among Republicans for immigration reform.

The Iowa Democrat supports building fences where they make sense. However, he said, fencing is costly to build, damages the environment, disrupts animal migrations routes and requires continuous upkeep.

Among the alternatives are drones, which, he said, are relatively cheap to operate and can cover long distances, as well as other technology.

He also called for negotiating agreements with the Mexican government to do some patrolling.

“We need to hold them responsible for the protection of the border,” Harkin said. “They should have responsibilities in that area.”

In addition to building 700 miles of fence, the compromise would double the number of Border Patrol agents to more than 40,000, adding about $40 billion in cost to the immigration reform.

However, a Congressional Budget Office report last week showed immigration reform would reduce federal deficits by nearly $200 billion over the next decade.

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