Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff supports building fences at U.S. borders to curb the influx of illegal immigrants into the country.
In a public statement, Chertoff outlined the benefits of fencing the nation’s borders, calling it a “positive step for the human environment.” Chertoff addressed the issue of drugs and criminals crossing the borders, and maintained that the building of fences would help to alleviate this concern. He went on to say that fencing also carries a “positive humanitarian benefit” in discouraging attempts to enter the U.S., many of which result in death. By preventing the flow of criminals and drug smugglers and the “trash and human waste” that goes along with them, the fences would benefit the local environment, according to Chertoff.