MEXICO CITY (AP) - Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday that extending walls along the U.S.-Mexico border will not solve the problem of illegal immigration. "The Berlin Wall did not work perfectly and the wall that the Israelis are putting up is not going to work perfectly," Powell said. "So, a wall alone is not the answer."
An immigration measure approved by the U.S. Senate offers illegal immigrants a chance at citizenship while extending fences along the border. The House passed a measure making all illegal immigrants subject to felony charges. Negotiations to reconcile the proposals have yet to begin.
Powell, speaking at a business conference in Mexico City, said any new barriers should include gates and other entrances to provide easy- access between both countries.
He said U.S. authorities should let many of the estimated 12 million undocumented migrants already in America earn some form of legal status through expanded temporary-worker programs.
"We have to find a way for them to live in dignity and not in fear," he said.
