In nine months they discovered 16 tunnels. One was 83 feet long and had ventilation, wood-beamed and plywood ceilings.3 There are those who believe it is impossible to stop the flow of illegal immigrants; however, you cannot pass as many of them through a tunnel as you can cross the border by walking or driving without a fence. The U.S. government spends $400 a week keeping illegal immigrants in detention centers, awaiting deportations and fighting their bid to stay in America. Some have been in detention centers for 16 months, while US citizens pay the price. Repatriating illegal immigrants cost the United States $288 million a year