With a massive influx of new border funding now on the table, policy experts and frontline agents are urging Washington to take a more targeted, informed approach to securing the southern border.
The latest Homeland Security funding includes $46.55 billion earmarked for walls, access roads, and supporting technology. While often referred to simply as “wall money,” experts stress that the investment is far broader, and could be far more effective, if guided by those who know the border best.
Jordan Fischetti, Immigration Policy Fellow at Americans for Prosperity, argues that Congress must work directly with chief patrol agents and patrol agents in charge across the nine sectors of the southwest border. These are the people, he says, who understand each stretch of terrain, whether a wall, a road, advanced sensors, or drones will make the biggest impact.
“What works in McAllen doesn’t necessarily work in Arizona,” Fischetti explained. “In some areas you need a barrier that slows people down. In others, technology or surveillance is much more effective. Local knowledge is everything.”
The call for tailored solutions comes after years of record-breaking migration spikes. Under President Biden, monthly apprehensions averaged more than 150,000, peaking at roughly 230,000 in some months. By comparison, the Trump and Obama administrations each averaged around 40,000 monthly apprehensions.
Conditions have shifted dramatically in recent months, with apprehensions dropping to roughly 7,700 per month, but experts warn those gains may not last without structural reforms, particularly expanded legal immigration channels.
Fischetti uses the metaphor of “tall fences and wide gates”: strong enforcement paired with accessible, lawful pathways for work and migration. History backs up the idea. He cites the Bracero program in the 1950s, H-2A visa reforms in the 2000s, and even recent parole programs, each of which dramatically reduced illegal crossings when migrants saw a viable legal alternative.
The new bill also invests heavily in staffing and technology:
- $4.1 billion for new Border Patrol and port-of-entry officers
- Funding for AI, machine learning, and narcotics detection tools
- Resources to help reduce the processing burden that has consumed agents in recent years
Morale among agents took a significant hit during the recent surge, with many feeling sidelined from core enforcement duties. The hope is that the new funding and renewed focus on enforcement will help restore confidence within the ranks.
Looking ahead, Fischetti argues that border security legislation is only half the solution. The next step, he says, must be a bipartisan effort to modernize legal immigration so that “the right people have the right channels to come the right way.”
For now, though, he believes the new investments have the potential to make a real difference if Washington listens to the people on the ground.
