The Folly of the Fence

The Washington Post has reported [1] that technical problems with the “virtual fence” being erected along a portion of the U.S.-Mexican border will mean a three-year delay in the project. And the 700 miles of physical barriers authorized by Congress is also poised to fall behind schedule – at an undetermined cost.

It’s becoming clear that depending on our ability to seal the U.S.-Mexican border without having a comprehensive immigration strategy is folly—and the American people know it. According to the National Immigration Forum, [2] three-quarters of the public would support a policy that combines smart border enforcement, effective immigration and labor enforcement directed at bad-actor employers, earned legalization/eventual citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented residents already in the country, assistance for vulnerable American workers and impact aid to local communities and states. Those steps, plus trade policies that help both Mexican and American workers, will do more to stem the problems caused by illegal immigration than any fence.