A Better Way to Secure Our Border

Along this nation’s southern border, hundreds of miles of fence now snake over hills, through arroyos, and across deserts and grasslands. The fence, for many, symbolizes national security. But a closer look shows a planning and construction process fraught with problems as environmental protection laws are circumvented, community voices are muted and property owners along the border are ignored. A new measure, tucked into a Senate spending bill, would tighten prescriptions for border fencing. The measure moves us in the wrong direction.