The fence and vehicle barriers are very effective.  The double and triple layer of fencing that is located in areas where American city streets are only a short sprint away buy invaluable time for Border Patrol Agents.  The fencing is marginally effective in remote areas where there is an hour or more between Border Patrol cuts.  If you want better security between the ports, triple Border Patrol manpower from 20,000 to 60,000, build more federal detention facilities in the southwest, and prosecute everyone caught (in every Border Patrol sector).  It won't happen though because of $$$.

 

 One thing that lawmakers and policymakers see is that an area comes "under control" and then there is a surplus of agents and resources in the area.  They deem them unnecessary and move them, but the problem will eventually return without the resources and manpower.  They don't understand that just because there are diminishing returns that you can't attrit resources or you get exponential loss.  The reason there is no more traffic in an area is because you have all the resources there in the first place. 

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