Border Fence

Over the course of this debate, my main arguments have been about cost, effectiveness (or rather, the lack thereof), the price in human lives, environmental impact, and the fact that there is a better alternative. 1) Cost Pro drops this argument completely. She does not contest that extending the border fence will cost billions of dollars, but rather tries to justify this by arguing that the border fence is effective, even though the evidence she cites to prove this are not directly linked to her argument. 2) Effectiveness Pro cites statistics showing that the number of apprehensions has gone down since the border fence was constructed, but she fails to explain how the border fence is the cause of these declines. As I mentioned, they could easily be explained by increases in border patrols or improved technology. In addition, the Border Patrol itself admits that they only apprehend 1 in 5 illegal migrants. It has also been proven through the testimony of migrants themselves that the border fence in no way deters them from attempting to cross the border. Even if the fence was actually effective, the benefits of extending it remain questionable and do not outweigh the far more solid harms of cost, loss of human life, and environmental damage. I will also reiterate that extending the fence will do nothing to take away the incentives that migrants have for crossing—namely our country’s strong demand for immigrant labor, the large wage gap between the U. S. and Mexico, and the desire for reunification among families. 3) Price in Human Lives Pro drops this argument as well and posits that it is not our fault the migrants attempt to cross the border. If harms to humankind indeed outweigh other harms, however, then certainly loss of life should win out over the uncertain economic harms that she proposes will occur as a result of immigration. Extending the fence will only increase the number of deaths caused by forcing migrants to cross in ever more treacherous terrain. It will also contribute to the growth of people smuggling as prices rise due to the necessity of having a coyote guide in order to cross safely. 4) Environmental Impact Pro also drops this argument. No matter when this point was made, the fact remains that Pro did not rebut them and so they stand uncontested. Pro also does not explain how any of the harms she presented about employment outweigh the endangerment and extinction of many species in the Southwestern U. S. 5) Better Alternative Pro argues that more immigration along the lines of what HR-15 proposes will be detrimental to employment. I refuted this by pointing to the numerous industries in this country that rely almost entirely on immigrant labor. HR-15 also partially solves for the incentives that drive migrants to cross the border, while extending the border fence does not. Immigration will exist whether the border fence is expanded or not, but the difference is that under Pro’s proposal these immigrants remain illegal, while under mine they become valuable contributors to our nation’s society and economy. Regarding Pro’s list of ten points, she lets her source speak for itself, providing no warrants that connect the evidence she cites to her arguments. Furthermore, I have already countered a number of these claims when I pointed to the benefits of legal immigration on the economy and the job market. The remainder of her points are not very potent, especially since they are unsupported, and they certainly provide no reasoning as to how extending the border fence will be beneficial to the U. S. I would like to remind readers that it was not my burden in this debate to respond to these poorly-constructed points; rather it was Pro’s burden to show beyond a doubt that extending the fence—not merely having the existing fence, but expanding upon it—is a net benefit to the United States. She has not done so, and as a consequence I should win this debate. Thanks to Pro for an engaging debate, thanks to voters for taking the time to read and vote on this debate, thanks to our mentors who gave me tips and advice, and thanks to Bsh1 for organizing this Beginner’s Tournament.