Border fence challenge rebuffed by Supreme Court
Environmentalists campaigning to stop the U.S. government's border fence project on the Mexico line were dealt a blow yesterday when the Supreme Court turned away their legal challenge.
The court's action clears the way for U.S. officials to press ahead with the project with little worry that judges will be able to stop it, writes the L.A. Times' David G. Savage.
Three years ago, Congress gave Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff an unusual power to "waive all legal requirements" that could stand in the way of building the fence. These requirements included the nation's environmental protection laws. The same congressional action took away the authority of judges to review Chertoff's decisions.
The high court's refusal is not a ruling, and it doesn't mean the justices won't reconsider the issue. But for now, Chertoff and his department have the go-ahead to proceed with the fence. Nearly half the barrier has been built.
Environmentalists are not the only activists campaigning to stop the border fence project. American citizens, whose properties and homes are being sliced up by the project, are also up in arms.
Photo: A U.S. Border Patrol truck drives along a new section of road built by members of the 200th Red Horse Air National Guard Civil Engineering Squadron from Camp Perry in Ohio and other National Guard units in front of a five mile section of new border fencing at the border in Nogales, Ariz. Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press
-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City
Marcos has a great point. We should really question the purpose of this fence.
Posted by: Max | August 20, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Securing the border is a precondition to reform. Enough progress has been made that it is time to discuss that reform.
Posted by: Marcos El Malo | June 27, 2008 at 10:31 AM
You have to ask yourself; is this fence to keep illegals out, or is it to keep us in?
Posted by: Chris | June 25, 2008 at 09:07 AM
Susan,
Your argument is not sound. God's law is not the law of the US territory.
It is ok to break God's law. There's nothing wrong with that.
Anyone trying to enforce God's law in these United States will be infringing on other's rights and they should be dealt with harshly.
After all we are a nation of law and order. We cannot pick and choose with laws to obey or disobey.
Posted by: Rob | June 24, 2008 at 05:29 PM
I'm all for the fence because of the word ILLEGAL. Immigration is fine when it is LEGAL, but when it is NOT, we cannot condone it or allow it. After all, are we a nation of law and order or not? When did it become OK to pick and choose which laws we want to obey or disobey? And why do so many people see no harm in allowing illegal immigrants to break the law? I suppose that they are the same folks who see no harm in breaking God's law either.
Posted by: Susan | June 24, 2008 at 11:10 AM