Thread: A Brief Analysis of Handling Illegal Immigration

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Copyright 2005 Los Angeles Times
All Rights Reserved

Los Angeles Times

November 13, 2005 Sunday
Home Edition

A secure border? What's it worth to you?;
How can illegal immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border be reduced or stopped? Some proposals.


Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff 's plan

Source: Department of Homeland Security.

Proposed method: 1,000 more Border Patrol agents in 2006; such border-control technologies as sensors and unmanned surveillance.

Estimated cost: Unspecified.

Description: Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced the plan this month to significantly reduce illegal border crossings within five years. Spokesman Jarrod Agen said the 2006 budget for customs and border protection would increase 11%, to $7 billion. "We are not talking about building a giant wall across our borders," Chertoff said.

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A bigger, better border fence?

Source: Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon).

Proposed method: An 1,800-mile fence from Texas to California, along with more Border Patrol agents and tougher laws.

Estimated cost: $1.8 billion.

Description: Hunter released his plan this month. The price tag is for the fence only. His Washington office had no cost estimates for non-fence components of the plan. "We've had tremendous success with the fence in San Diego," said Joe Kasper, a spokesman for Hunter. The Department of Homeland Security is spending $35 million to complete and equip the last 3.5 miles of the California wall.

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How the Minutemen would handle it

Source: The Minuteman Project, which relies on volunteers to police the border.

Proposed method: More Border Patrol agents and immigration investigators.

Estimated cost: $15 billion annually.

Description: Founder Jim Gilchrist's estimate reflects a huge increase in funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and for the Border Patrol. That includes increasing the number of Border Patrol agents from the current 11,000 to 30,000. Immigration personnel would increase to 10,000 officers, compared with 6,000 now. "Until they can hire and train an adequate staff, it has to be supplemented by federal troops, National Guard or active military," Gilchrist said. He estimates that these troops alone would cost $1 billion a year.

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Looking at the bigger picture

Source: The Center for Immigration Studies, a nonprofit research group in Washington.

Proposed method: Tougher customs and border enforcement.

Estimated cost: $7 billion to $8 billion annually.

Description: The estimate would cover the bare minimum: stopping illegal border crossers. Director of research Steven Camarota emphasized that enhancing border security makes sense only with a comprehensive immigration plan -- with work-site enforcement as the centerpiece.

PHOTO: How the Minutemen would handle it PHOTOGRAPHER: Fred Greaves Reuters PHOTO: A bigger, better border fence? PHOTOGRAPHER: Denis Poroy Associated Press PHOTO: Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff 's plan PHOTOGRAPHER: Charles Dharapak Associated Press PHOTO: Looking at the bigger picture PHOTOGRAPHER: Stephen Chernin Getty Images

November 13, 2005

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Take your pick folks! I know which side I agree with.

While I believe that a wall, a double fence, electrified with concertina wire or some other deterrent would cut down the border traffic significantly, I believe out military, the men and women who joined to defend our country, should play some significant part in defending our borders. Some claim that solution would make us a "military state." Sorry, I don't buy that. These people are on the payroll of the US government and they are trained to fight if the need arises.

I don't think that seven million more border patrol agents could do as good a job as the military because of the laws passed to prevent law enforcement agencies in this country from doing their job to start with.

However, if the BP agents were to actively seek out and return the current illegals in this country to their native lands, and the cops were to be allowed to put down the gang activity that gets someone else killed every weekend (we lost another 15-year old kid this week end here in the Sun City whose family doesn't seem to speak English) then maybe progress could be made to set this country back on the right track.