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Letter: Listen to the Border Patrol experts

(Daniel Ochoa de Olza | The Associated Press) A U.S. Border Protection officer stands under the rain as he watches the border fence between San Diego, Calif., and Tijuana, Mexico, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. Discouraged by the long wait to apply for asylum through official ports of entry, many migrants are choosing to cross the U.S. border wall and hand themselves in to border patrol agents.

What if there wasn’t a see-through wall/fence between San Diego and Tijuana? How would our Border Patrol Agents, risking their health and lives, stop 6,000 people at our border from illegally entering our country?

The U.S. Border Patrol Chief, Carla Provost said, “We certainly do need a wall. If you talk to any Border Patrol Agent, they will tell you that. This is something we’ve been doing for the last 30 years. We have identified across the entire southwest border areas where a wall makes sense and I have prioritized that based on operational requirements from my field leadership. My men and women need to work effectively and safely along the border. It also makes our border communities safer.”

Some Democrats have said that some experts tell us we do not need a wall. But aren’t the Border Patrol agents the best experts of all? They’re certainly better experts than members of Congress.

President Clinton built the see-through wall/fence south of San Diego, called Operation Gatekeeper, in 1994. President Obama built 137 miles of wall/fence. Now, Nancy Pelosi tells us that the wall is immoral and ineffective. Did she say this to President Obama?

A Quinnipiac Poll in December shows voter support for border wall hits a record high. By party affiliation, Republicans overwhelmingly support building the wall, Democrats overwhelmingly oppose it, and Independents are divided: Republican Support: 86%. Democrat Opposition: 90%. Independents: 47% Support, 51% Oppose.

Susan Rounds, Midvale

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