Concrete and Steel Would Protect our Border Patrol from Thrown Bricks and Stones

The Brownsville Herald recently reported yet another instance of a thrown-projectile assault on Border Patrol agents. According to The Herald, “multiple people from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande threw bricks at Border Patrol agents.”

This is only the latest in a long series of rock and brick throwing incidents stretching back to the late 1970’s. And this type of assault, although frequently dismissed as insignificant by illegal alien advocates, is a serious threat to the health and safety of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel. In fact, rock-throwing illegal aliens have actually downed several Border Patrol helicopters.

In many cases, the rock-throwers are on the Mexican side of the border. This places Border Patrol agents in a position where they are often unable to defend themselves. American law enforcement agencies have no authority in Mexico, which is a sovereign, independent nation. And it is unclear whether U.S. law grants police personnel the right to fire across international borders in self defense. The Supreme Court addressed certain aspects of this question in Hernandez v. Mesa but the issue remains far from settled and the Border Patrol’s policies on cross-border self-defense are vague at best.

The problem is further complicated by the fact that Mexico has no dedicated police force responsible for patrolling its northern border. The U.S. Border Patrol’s mission includes combatting cross-border crime moving both into and out of the United States. There is no single Mexican agency with a similar mission. Accordingly, the Border Patrol isn’t able to rely on an effective working relationship with Mexican colleagues to eliminate, or at least reduce, cross-border thrown-projectile attacks.

What’s the solution? A tall, stout border wall would go a long way toward protecting Border Patrol agents from alien rock-throwers. Open-borders advocates and the illegal alien grievance machine, make all kinds of outrageous claims about the inefficacy of walls and the alleged “racism” inherent in building a border wall. But, as FAIR has repeatedly noted, the Great Wall of China worked, just like most of the other walls built in antiquity and more recently.

A wall would protect Border Patrol agents, and other law enforcement officials by significantly decreasing the number of illegal border-jumpers who are able attack them on the U.S. side of the border, as well as making it much more difficult to hurl rocks, bricks and other debris across the border.  Israel’s border fences, constructed partially in response to thrown-projectile attacks, have proven remarkably effective in reducing all manner of assaults on security forces. Simply put, if the bad guys can’t get in, they can’t assault your good guys.

And the agents and officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection are some of the best. In addition to protecting the citizens of the United States, each year they render aid and assistance to thousands of illegal aliens who become lost or stranded in the southwestern deserts. They also regularly provide emergency medical assistance and search/rescue services to rural communities along the Canadian border.

We owe the men and women who keep us safe both our gratitude and support. If building a border wall will help protect them from rock-hurling aliens with murderous intent, that seems a small price to pay. Good fences make good neighbors and stout walls make for safer borders.