Doing What Works: Securing Our Border

Narrator: Securing our border with Mexico—the main crossing for undocumented immigrants into the United States—is a vexing challenge. This past year the Center for American Progress launched the "Doing What Works" initiative with the support of the Rockefeller Foundation. Doing What Works aims to advance government that efficiently allocates scarce resources to achieve greater value and results for the American people.

Sima Gandhi: This seems like a very simple concept, but clearly defining objectives and then trying to maximize those objectives, and work towards those objectives, is something the government doesn't always do, and something corporations don't always do. But, by virtue of taking a goal and saying this is my goal and I'm going to work towards that goal you can actually increase your productivity. And that's kind of a larger overarching principle of a "Doing What Works" philosophy.

Narrator: The Center for American Progress's Doing What Works project focuses on two of the border security components that have been deployed--the erection of a border fence along parts of the U.S.-Mexico border, and a "virtual" fence along the border of advanced high-technology tools.

Gebe Martinez: When you look at that very long border between California and Texas, they were really only talking about a fraction of that border being covered by a fence.

Chuck McCutcheon: Well, the fence itself is only intended to cover segments of the border, areas around cities. And it's intended to try and divert people away from those kinds of areas; into areas where, say out in the desert they can be more easily spotted and identified through sensors, cameras, towers, and other technologies.

Narrator: While the physical fence suffered from setbacks, the advanced technology "virtual fence" proved to be even more problematic. The goal for the "virtual fence" was that it would complement the physical fence, but there was an implementation breakdown.

Sima Gandhi: Some people having an idea for what a fence should be is not the same as clearly articulating a goal and a vision for that fence. And what's it supposed to do in the short term and the long term.

Narrrator: The principles of Doing What Works requires government, when it adopts a large-scale program, to do so in support of a clear vision. But the Bush Administration pushed this fencing program through Congress in response to anti-immigration political pressure, not in support a well-developed vision for a secure border.

Chuck McCutcheon: And there wasn't enough overarching strategy, or enough thinking ahead of time about what really needed to be done in a comprehensive fashion.

Narrator: The government has recognized the need to reassess the two fences. Mismanagement and cost overruns have led the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to freeze work on the virtual fence.

Chuck McCutcheon: And that's why she, and everyone else recognizes that you just can't rely on fences alone, but you have to be smarter, and that you have to come up with other, more sophisticated types of security if you're really going to be serious about this effort. Narrator: The Center for American Progress's "Doing What Works" project concludes that the virtual fence can support a vision for a secure border if certain corrective measures are taken.

Sima Gandhi: What the analysis does show is that the fence does play a very critical role in the border security initiative. But to finish that fence and do a good job of it there are things that need to be done.

Narrator: Specifically, the government should determine which technology solutions are likely to be most effective in accomplishing the vision for a secure border, include feedback from a range of interested parties and experts, monitor progress vigorously to be a success, and set goals, budgets, and timelines that are dictated by what's realistic not politically expedient. Clouding the vision of a secure border is the absence of a realistic, secure, legal immigration channels that will reduce pressure on illegal migration.

Gebe Martinez: We have to ask ourselves when we put all of this money into this infrastructure, are we getting our bang for the buck? Is this a good investment? Yes. This is our border strategy. We do have to have enforcement. We do have to have, in fact a fence in some places. Now that we've got that fence there, let's make it work.

Narrator: The lessons learned from the current border security program can be applied to any government program.. The Center for American Progress looks forward to releasing further reports from the "Doing What Works" initiative that advances a government that does what works.