Can we talk about an immigration law?

Or will the politicians even take the time to talk about a new immigration law? Most citizens think immigration is one of the big national interest problems facing America today. National interests means common interests … this is not a republican or democratic issue though there are small elements of each party that will try exploit it as such.

Assuming the politicians do take the time to talk, and debate, and hopefully improve the bipartisan draft proposal, then in this there is hope for the future. Since it seems the proposed draft (most are still waiting to see it to begin the review and improvement process) focuses on the “amnesty” part of what to do with all the illegal aliens here, this post “talks” about the securing of the borders aspect of this national interest problem.

Having been trained in the Marines, one can have a different take on securing the southern border with Mexico. This “take” avoids all the “over-intellectualized” D.C. based assumptions and solutions. It also uses the “keep it simple stupid” (KISS) principles to lower expectations, and importantly, costs.

We do need to secure our border. This means securing it, not necessarily keeping out 100.00%, but as many as we can. The objective should be to make illegal border crossings as difficult as we can afford. For example, the old days of just walking across the border must be replaced by making crossing the border difficult, as in taking many days with elements of danger and being caught. This is already happening in many places, so hats off to all those Americans doing so well in enforcing the present law. This approach will of course include future illegal breech points since people are smart, but illegal breech points are easier to focus on for control, and to fix. And here is the most “radical” part of this idea. Has anyone asked the Mexicans (and others) who do the illegal crossings how they would secure the borders. Best I can read and research, the answer is no. All the border control ideas most read about are very expensive, high tech, and come out of D.C. This idea of including the Mexicans is part of the KISS idea. If America is stuck with Eisenhower’s “military industrial complex”, we should avoid at all costs a “border industrial complex” that becomes a D.C. based means to wastefully spend billions of dollars from the public treasury in pursuit of some D.C. based idea of border control and political income. We do not want to fall into the trap of doing a Great Wall of China, Hadrian’s Wall, Maginot Line or even in Vietnam a McNamara “whiz kids” line. We’re smarter than that.

Most think Americans are not asking for southern border control, they are demanding southern border control. The record and situation to date is why. We did not get to the present point by accident. And the problem is solvable if one can “keep it simple stupid” (KISS). The Minutemen have one thrifty solution, but there are many solutions in regards securing the southern border. Bottom line is that the solution must be affordable, simple, area specific, and designed by those who know best … those who do the illegal crossings. There is a very appropriate hunting analogy. The best guides are former poachers.