Border Fence Report:
Just 5 Miles Of Double-Layer Fencing Built In First Year Of Secure Fence Act
GAO Report Claims Progress On Border Fence But Devil Is In The Details

==Glenn Spencer Interview
==Grassfire "Flyover" Of Border

Grassfire.org researchers have discovered that just five miles of double-layer fencing have been built in the first year of implementation of the Secure Fence Act -- despite the Act's specific mandate of 854 miles of double-layer fencing.

Grassfire obtained this information from Congressional staffers and then confirmed this with on-site reconnaissance of the actual fence by American Border Patrol. The five miles of double-layer fencing has been put in place near Yuma, Arizona. (Image from American Border Patrol.)

Government Claims 70 Miles Of Fence Built, But Not Double-Layer
These findings come as the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released the Congressionally mandated one-year report on progress of the Secure Border Initiative and the border fence. According to the GAO, the goverment put in place 73 miles of fencing in the past year, meeting its goal of 70 miles of pedestrian fencing in place by the end of FY 2007 -- September 30, 2007. But the GAO report failed to indicate that the vast majority of the fencing was not of the double-layer type mandated by Congress in the Secure Fence Act (Access a .pdf of the report here).

While the DHS claims success, it is now clear that the DHS's goals for the border fence have little if anything to do with the text of the Secure Fence Act. In addition, most of the "progress" toward meeting the DHS's own goal of 70 miles of fencing in FY 2007 apparently was met in the final 60 days of the fiscal year. Congressional reports in August indicated that just 18 miles of the fence had been built. Also, reports this month are indicating that fence construction has once again slowed to a near standstill, indicating that most of the "progress" was just to meet the 9/30/07 deadline.

Special Interview With Glenn Spencer
Grassfire's Steve Elliott interviewed Glenn Spencer of the American Border Patrol to discuss his organization's recent reconnaissance flights over the border which detail the actual progress of the border fence. Click here to listen:

During the interview, access American Border Patrol's maps and detailed reports on the progress of the fence here.

Google Earth "Flyover" Of 854 Miles Of Fence
Utilizing Google Earth, Grassfire has developed this short video detailing the specific locations of the double-layer fence mandated by the Secure Fence Act. As you will see, the law stipulates that large sections of our southern border extending approsimately 854 miles must be secured with a double-layer fence. Yet politicians in Washington, D.C., seem determined to ignore the law they have written.