Fencing Match

Mexico may file complaint over U.S. border fence plans

Mexican environmental officials are the latest to get peeved over the U.S. government's plan to build a 700-mile fence along the countries' shared border. The barrier, intended to stem illegal immigration, would "place at risk the various ecosystems that we share," says Environment Minister Juan Rafael Elvira -- including the Sonora Desert. A report prepared for Mexican officials by experts in both countries said the fence could isolate animals including jaguars, black bears, and the Sonora pronghorn; it said the accompanying radar and lights could also harm nocturnal species. Mexican officials say they may file a complaint with the International Court of Justice, but are exploring their options; Argentine President Nestor Kirchner stoked the fire yesterday by calling the project "an insult ... to all the nations of Latin America and all the nations of the world." Suggested alternatives to the fence include roadless wilderness corridors, permeable fences, and "live" cactus barriers. Ouch.