Border fence

The first border fences built along the U.S.-Mexico border to curb immigration from Mexico began in earnest under Democrats Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. After building fences for decades to stop animals, the federal government shifted its focus when people began migrating in significant numbers from south to north in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1971 Mrs Nixon established Friendship Park at the San Diego border and ordered the fence cut so she could greet migrants. Facing economic distress with migrants President Carter replaced the fence Nixon had cut with a bigger fence. President Reagan closed the border for a few weeks in 1985. In 1986 Reagan legalized 2 million migrants. President Clinton had a get tough policy at our borders and used steel to build fences. In 2006 President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act and authorized 700 miles of fencing. When he left office they had completed 500 miles and Obama continued building 130 more miles. He also funded the Border Patrol and deported more people than any president. Although Donald Trump championed building his wall, his administration only built about 85 miles of new fences. Biden wanted to add 20 miles but that is on hold.