Illegal immigration is a prominent issue in this presidential election. Both Sens. Clinton and Obama have voiced their opinions about tightening the U.S. borders and have pledged their support for illegal immigrants. They both back universal health care packages that would provide health care to illegals. Because illegal immigrants come to the United States in droves, the issue has become a dominating social concern that has permeated every fiber of our social being.

According to Reuters, the U.S. government recently waived environmental and other regulations that threatened to delay completion of nearly 500 miles of a planned barrier fence along Mexico the United States border.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who has chafed at obstacles to the controversial barrier project, issued the waivers for stretches of land in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The fence is intended to deter illegal crossings by immigrants, drug runners and others.

“Criminal activity at the border does not stop for endless debate or protracted litigation,” Chertoff said. “Congress and the American public have been adamant that they want and expect border security. We’re serious about delivering it.”

Clearly this is a controversial move. Waiving environmental and other regulations to tighten the border allows the government to harshly and quickly attack illegal immigration. This is a shortcut that is allowing the American government to accomplish its dark policy agenda. Undoubtedly, President Bush is behind this “fast-track” action.

It is true that criminal activity, including the illegal crossing of our borders, does not wait for legislation to be passed. However, waiving and evading environmental and other regulations to hasten a border-protecting agent and abate criminal activity is akin to circumventing the democratic process. If regulations are established through the democratic process, they should not be circumvented at the whim of government officials, simply to accomplish other tasks.

Also according to Reuters, “Opponents of the fence include landowners reluctant to surrender their property and environmentalists concerned the barrier would threaten fragile habitats and rare animal species.”

This is not the first time that environmental regulations have been ignored.

“Chertoff has three times previously issued waivers to bypass environmental restrictions to the fence project, using authority granted by Congress in mandating the fence,” Reuters reported. “The Homeland Security Department said one of the new waivers applied to various projects across 470 miles in the four states bordering Mexico. It will facilitate construction of fencing, towers, sensors, cameras, detection equipment and roads.”

Are our borders really that unsecure that Homeland Security, in accordance with the rest of government, would need to circumvent well-established landowning and environmental policies? Yes, the fence will undoubtedly help secure our borders, which is a prominent problem given the recent increase in illegal immigration.

However, the American government may want to focus its attention on supporting the illegal immigrants who are already in our country, rather than breaking its own policies to keep more immigrants out. It is unequivocal that the work of illegal immigrants supports our now fragile economy.

There is clear government and public support for the stable protection of our borders, and this is an issue that will not go away any time soon. Several government officials, including Sen. Clinton, voted in support of the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which would have provided 700 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border. However, circumventing other government polices is not the key to accomplishing this agenda. It may secure the border in the short term, but it will create other problems in the long run.

[Reach columnist Chris Heide at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.]