Immigration in U.S. needs reform badly

It’s been some time since I took the time to write on something other than the Seattle Mariners, a team cover daily when they are at home. I’ve realized this and planned to put up a movie review or some political commentary, but kept letting other things get in the way.

Well, that changes today. I was watching the news this morning and chanced upon the report that President Barack Obama and congress are debating about immigration reform. Apparently the influx of illegal immigration across the U.S.-Mexico border over the past six months is happening at an alarming rate. It has gotten so serious that border officials are out-manned, over-extended and running out of money.

This is obviously a major problem. Immigration is a major issue for the United States, one that has far-reaching affects across all areas of our daily lives. There is a finite amount of resources, a finite amount of living space, and really, a finite number of jobs. More people fighting over these limited essentials to human life is not a good thing. Certainly, competition is necessary in a capitalistic society, but we want healthy competition.

When illegal immigration is tolerated it creates unhealthy competition. Unhealthy in that these illegal immigrants become undocumented workers taking hard labor jobs for low wages. These jobs are not unlimited, they are finite. The jobs these undocumented workers take for less money the man before him, are taken from some person who legally resides in this country. Most likely that person was born in the U.S., was educated by an American school, paid taxes to the U.S. government and made significant contributions to the American society. When this person loses his/her job, what are they to do? We have failed them. Why? Because we allowed an illegal immigrant to invade our nation and circumvent our laws.

This is unhealthy because it fosters bad blood, even hatred. The individual that loses their job may have a tough time finding another (even if the person does, he/she has now taken the job of another individual who could have had it) and that creates undue stress on his person, on their family and perhaps friends. It creates ill will towards the government who has, as this person feels, put them in this situation. Perhaps it even fosters hatred to the minorities he/she feels is responsible for putting him/her out of work. This could lead to discrimination and possibly violence.

In order to maintain a society that runs as prosperous and effectively as possible, the way immigration is handled is of upmost importance.

Right now, according to recent census information, the U.S. has 317 million people living within its borders as of 2014. Certainly, a good percentage of that population is currently comprised of illegal immigrants who have made the trek over the U.S./Mexico border over the last 5-10 years. The vast expanse of the U.S. can certainly handle this amount and more. The population level, though, in major metropolitan cities like Los Angeles, Calif. and New York, New York and Miami, Fla. are above what those cities can currently handle. This is a personal opinion, but one educationally given based on traffic reports from each city. I have not read, or been made privy to a study that details otherwise.

The point is, population within the U.S. is at a point where it needs to be actively controlled when and where it can be. LA and California is of primary concern. The illegal immigrants flooding across the U.S./Mexico border are, by majority, flocking to California. So how do we do this? What areas of the current immigration policy need to be addressed and how?

First off let’s understand just why illegal immigration has been a serious problem for this country over the last 10 years, and why, over the last six months, it has only gotten more serious. There are two major reasons:

1. The increasing power of drug cartels in Mexico and Central America
2. The poverty levels of Mexico and Central America

These two factors have made it a) unsafe to live in most areas of Mexico and Central America and b) inspired the desire to uplift one’s home to find a better life elsewhere. And the citizens of Mexico and Central America are looking to the U.S. because of its proximity and its surging economy.

So what’s wrong? Well, obviously too many illegal immigrants are getting across the border, reaching safe havens and establishing a new residence in the U.S. complete with under-the-table jobs. Ideally, the number of illegal immigrants would be zero, but that isn’t practical. The idea is to keep it at a minimum.

The border isn’t secure enough. Tunnels and other passages are allowing dozens of people across daily and the FBI and other law enforcement agencies are unable to keep up. Coyotes are smuggling people across at different checkpoints through various means of stealth. Somehow the border needs to be made tighter. The number of checkpoints should be decreased and there needs to be a more secure “wall” rather than a simple electrical fence.

If a trench were to be dug, say, 50 feet deep and 500 feet wide for the entire length of the border, then filled with water (so essentially a moat), with a 20-foot tall, machine-gun manned stone wall, the security would be far greater. You could even fill the water with crocodiles and hippos to further deter the bravest and most desperate humans attempting to come across.

This would cost money, but for the amount of money being spent to shelter and process the illegal immigrants that are being caught, it would be a money-saver over the long haul.

Now, this is probably a radical idea. The U.S. government isn’t going to go back to medieval ages to come up with an idea to strengthen its border. It’s 2014 after all. There are other ways. I’d be open to suggestions, but as someone who thinks simplistically and rather prefers the “old school” methods of history, I think it would be a refreshing approach. You create something that is impenetrable on its own, without much added security i.e. paid guards, and you let it do the work for you. You pay a minimal amount every year for routine upkeep (to monitor the structure of the wall, keep the crocodiles and hippos healthy, etc) and focus all your energy on the four or five checkpoints which reach through via bridges now.

The other policy change needs to be immediate deportation. When you catch coyotes smuggling illegals across in a car, van, truck, etc., you turn them away at gun point. If they fight, you shoot to kill. This has to be looked at as a war. You’re protecting your nation and your family’s way of life and their security by keeping a tight border. This is what we all must understand completely. This isn’t some trivial issue. We are talking about the strength of the U.S. as a nation economically, militarily and politically. And we are talking about the livelihood of our families.