House rejects security fence at border

House rejects security fence at border
Proposal for 854-mile, double layered security barrier fails by 272-to-149 vote

The U.S. House of Representatives shot down a proposal Friday by U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz, that would have built an 854-mile, double layered security fences along the Mexican border.

Franks noted that only 13 miles of a Mexican border fence approved last year have been built and that the fencing is needed to improve border security.

"With over 4,000 people crossing our southern border illegally every day, our border remains one of our country's most critical national security vulnerabilities. In order to carry out an act of terrorism, a militant Islamist simply needs a porous border and a dangerous weapon," said Franks in a statement.

Franks represents Glendale, Peoria, Sun City and Kingman.

The fence plan failed by 272 to 149 votes. Most Democrats (including Arizona congressional members Harry Mitchell, Gabrielle Giffords , Ed Pastor and Raul Grijalva) voted against the border fence plan.

Most Republicans (including Franks and fellow Arizona Reps. Rick Renzi and John Shadegg) voted for the comprehensive fence plan.

Mesa GOP Congressman Jeff Flake crossed party lines and vote against the border fence bill.

The House did approve an overall homeland and border security appropriations bill Friday. Mitchell said he backed that bill because it allocates federal money to hire more Border Patrol Agents and resources to deport violent illegal immigrant criminals.

"Deporting those illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes is absolutely imperative to keeping our communities safe," Mitchell said in a statement. Mitchell represents Tempe and Scottsdale.

The state's four Democratic representatives and Renzi voted for the final bill. Flake, Franks and Shadegg opposed.

The votes could be a precursor to a big political fight over immigration reforms, a guest worker program and how to deal with the 12 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S.