Protest marks two years of local opposition to the Secure Fence Act

Rio Grande Valley protesters joined with groups in El Paso, San Antonio and Oxnard, Calif., to oppose the U.S.-Mexico border fence Saturday.

The protest marked the second anniversary of the week President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act into law, mandating hundreds of miles of additional fencing to be built along the nation's southern border with Mexico.

Ruben Solis, an organizer with the Southwest Workers Union, said he hoped to galvanize support for fair immigration policy before the approaching presidential election.

"We want to keep these issues on the radar screen," Solis said. "(Bush's) administration has been a failure, a tragic comedy. You almost want to laugh about it, but we also know we have to take what's going on very seriously."

Among the small group of protesters waving signs at cars passing Hope Park on Saturday, an 81-year-old retired teacher, Joe Krause, reflected on Bush's two terms and the election ahead.

Krause, who has opposed the border fence since 2006, said he voted for Bush in 2000 and Kerry in 2004.

"At the time, I was voting on a single-issue basis," said Krause, who voted for Bush because he opposes the legality of abortion. "I see now that (voting for Bush) was a gross error."

Daniela Solis, a 19-year-old Edinburg resident, said she's seen the number of protesters dwindle at more recent rallies opposing the border fence.

"(Protesting) has been frustrating and invigorating," Solis said. "It's frustrating to see a continuous battle, to see that we haven't succeeded in pointing out all the negative aspects of this wall. But it's exciting to see it spread from a movement of four or five people to a national issue."