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From: (b) (6)

To: (b) (6)

Subject: Border Fence NewsClips, 28 Feb

Date: Thursday, February 28, 2008 6:04:51 AM

Morning all.

(b) (6)
Secure Border Initiative
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
(b) (6)
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Chertoff Defends Border Fence on Private

Land
February 27, 2008 04:06 PM ET
US News & World Report
The Department of Homeland Security, currently building real and virtual fences on the
nation's southern border, won't give in to local lawsuits or complaints from landowners
because protecting the nation is a larger responsibility than protecting a landowner's property,
according to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

He told reporters today that the department is working with local landowners to settle the
issue. Chertoff said he's "sympathetic" to their concerns, but he's not willing to give in,
something he said previous administrations did, with the result that the border has become
porous.

"Maybe this was a dream," he said, but "I thought there was a huge public demand for a
fence. I'm willing to have a fair discussion, but I'm not willing to have an endless
discussion."

Chertoff noted that he won't be cowed by lawsuits or insults from the local owners. He said
that in the past, administrations were "worn down" by lawsuits and political pressure and
ended up doing nothing. He added that the department has come up with a good mix of
virtual and real fences but that urban areas need fences because those entering the nation
illegally can cross the border and slip into U.S. cities too quickly to be caught.

Feb. 27, 2008, 11:59PM

Chertoff weary over fence attacks

He says lawsuits, harsh words won't stop border plan
By RICHARD S. DUNHAM and JAMES PINKERTON
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

WASHINGTON — Bristling at attacks from Texans opposed to building a fence along the
Texas-Mexico border, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Wednesday
that he will not be intimidated into abandoning the federal government's plans by harsh words
or lawsuits.
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"I'm willing to have a fair and constructive discussion, but I'm not willing to have an endless
discussion," Chertoff told reporters at a breakfast meeting. "Insulting me or attacking me
does not cause me to go, 'ooh, I've been insulted and attacked, I'm going to stop doing what
I'm doing.' "

The Homeland Security Department has been on the receiving end of a barrage of criticism
from Texas landowners, municipalities, local politicians from both parties and, most recently,
from Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Critics say the
department has failed to consult adequately with Texans before building the fence that was
mandated by Congress.

Chertoff flatly rejected the criticisms, citing as an example of communication an agreement

with officials in McAllen involving levee work along the Rio Grande.

"We've been very willing to consult," he said. "And I sympathize with the fact that people
don't want this in their backyard, but ... should the landowner's personal preference, no matter
how much I understand and sympathize, should that trump everybody else's security
interests?"

Chertoff's ringing defense of the fence was met with jeers by critics along the border.
"He doesn't get it, and he has no inclination to get it," said Chad Foster, a real estate agent
and mayor of Eagle Pass. "They're going to put up some fence, and it's going to be in Eagle
Pass just to make an example of the mouthy mayor of Eagle Pass."

Mayors along the Texas border have proposed increasing counter-measures already in
operation, including cameras, land sensors and unmanned surveillance aircraft, in addition to
boosting the number of border patrol agents.

"In the 21st century, we should be able to secure the border with technology rather than
physical barriers,"Foster said.

Instead of consultation, Foster said the city was hit with a lawsuit to allow federal surveyors
to enter and survey 233 acres of city land for a fence. Foster said Chertoff has not given
serious consideration to alternatives to a border barrier.

"As we speak today, there are stakes in the ground and the flags say, 'border fence,' " said
Foster. "Now where is the consultation? We are just waiting for someone to come and build
the wall."

Such talk does not move Chertoff.

"When what I hear is attacks or lawsuits, that's not going to push us, because, see, that's why
we had the problem we had for 30 years," he said. "The reason that my predecessors were not
able get control of the border was not that they were feckless or not faithful public servants.
They wanted to do the job, but they ran into unbelievable resistance, and they were worn
down (by) lawsuits, political pressure."

The Bush administration official said he's simply complying with the will of Congress.
"Maybe I'm — maybe this was a dream," he said. "I thought I remembered last year a huge
outcry demanding we build a fence all across the southern border. Was that an imaginary
thing? I thought there was a huge public demand for this. And then I thought I heard myself
getting roundly criticized because I didn't want to build double fence from sea to shining sea,
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and I was viewed as squishy and soft on this ...

"So we really looked at every single mile of the border, and we came up with what seemed to
be the right mix."
After weeks of escalating rhetoric and legal action, some of the landowners say they're ready
for some calm discussion.
''Its ridiculous, its non-productive and a waste of energy on both sides," said Noel Benavides,
a Roma City Council member whose wife's family has owned a large tract of land on the Rio
Grande for hundreds of years."If they had communication with the people involved, they
would have gotten this settled a long time ago. But they never came out and said what they
wanted."

Benavides says that landowners are unlikely to win a showdown with the feds.
"The secretary might say he won't back down," said Benavides. "Well, fine, more power to
him. He's got the law on his side, Homeland Security can do whatever they want to. But we
have a right to ask what's going on ... something is not right, and it's been that way since day
one."