What is your definition of a “secure border”?
by Hugh Holub on Jul. 07, 2010, under border issues, politicsMany are suggesting there should be no movement on immigration law reform until the border is “secure”.
What do you think a “secure border” means?
What additional steps do you think need to be taken to “secure” the border?
July 7th, 2010 on 10:32 am
This is a very good and relevant question. Does this mean that no one ever gets through except via the existing immigration laws? Given the history of things, my guess is that the right wing means that the border is not secure until they say it is secure and then, and only then, can we talk about reform. By this I mean that they will never deem it secure enough to talk about reform. Just like the health care debate during which the right wing said they were all in favor of reform, just not the reform proposed. It should be be clear that what they really mean in both cases is no reform, ever.
July 7th, 2010 on 11:35 am
Exactly…that’s why the question of what “secure border” means is so important because there are obviously those who do not want any kind of immigration reform and thus will never agree the border is secure until there is an 80 foot high wall backed up by 200,000 troops which no one will ever agree to.
Living down close o the line as I do, I’d define border security as seeing the existing resources the Border Patrol has deployed within a mile or so of the line and not scattered all over the state. Sure, some illegal crossings would occur, but not in the magnitude we now experience.
But the real security would be immigration reform eliminating the need for workers to sneak into the country.