President George W. Bush signed legislation Thursday authorizing the construction of 1,100 kilometers of new fencing along the U.S.-Mexican border. “Unfortunately, the United States has not been in complete control of its borders for decades, and therefore illegal immigration has been on the rise,” Bush said at a White House signing ceremony. “We have a responsibility to enforce our laws,” he said. “We have a responsibility to secure our borders.” Bush insisted Thursday that his guest-worker program would ease pressure along the border, and said Americans must face the reality that millions of illegal immigrants already live in the United States. The 1,100 kilometers of fencing would run along parts of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. The entire U.S.-Mexican border is 3,200 kilometers. The legislation did not provide funding for the fencing, but simply authorized its construction. Part of the funding for the fence was included in a homeland-security bill Bush signed earlier this month.
