EL PASO, Texas -- As Congress debates funding for a "virtual" fence along the U.S.-Mexican border, the governor of Texas wants "real" people guarding it.

Gov. Rick Perry said boots on the ground is how you stop the flood of illegals.

In the areas where patrols have been beefed up, the flow of illegal immigration is down, as is overall crime.

Texas is one of four states that share a border with Mexico, and the governor of the Lone Star State said Washington is out of touch.

“It's 1,300 miles from here to Washington, D.C., they have no idea what life is like along the border, they haven't a clue about how you secure a 1,200 mile border, they think you build a wall, wipe your hands of it, gosh we done our job, let's go on to something else,“ said Perry.

Perry said his state will spend $110 million dollars over the next two years adding more patrols to local police.