The issue of border security has been a polarizing political and international relation issue with conflicting arguments for and against its imposition and the manner of imposition of the regulations. While the proponents argue that the United States has not seriously tried to enforce the laws against aliens, and that recommend that illegal populations should be shrunk through consistent and equitable law enforcement, opponents argue that enforcement only approach ignores the fact that the nation has increasingly integrated labor market with other regions. Therefore, the latter argument recommends that a comprehensive approach, which combines border control with expanded legal channels, should be implemented. This paper challenges the former argument and asserts that border security should not be put first as a strategy.
The perspectives, which have been taken in debating for or against the border control, have disregarded different perspectives of the issue. In most of these debates, the “either/or” framework has been implemented. This implies that the only possible arguments are that you are either for the immigrants or for control, you are either for higher control or lower level controls, or that, you are either for the open or closed borders. In my opinion a new framework, which provides the “both/and” argument should replace the former in providing a range of options to the argument. This argument will recognize the integrated labor market in Latin America, which can help in countering the increasing labor demands in the United States as well as the need to control the border movements into the country following the 9/11 attacks. This will result into enforceable immigration laws.
Secure America: a cure for what ails U.S. is another solution to the growing illegal immigrants in the United States (Mataconis, 2013). As opposed to border control, it ensures legitimization of the immigrants as well as their integration into the communities where they settle. This bill will ensure that all the immigrant workers in the county are legally authorized to work and live within the borders. Another viable option is the Cornyn-Kyl bill, which proposes the combination of tougher enforcements with a legal regime dealing with the new entrants and those who are already in the country (Carafano, Kephart, & Kochems, 2005). Therefore, I believe these propositions would provide alternative and better solutions to border control.
References:
Carafano J. J., Kephart J. L. & Kochems A. (September 23, 2005). The Cornyn-Kyl Immigration Reform Act: Flawed But Fixable. The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2005/09/the-cornyn-kyl-immigration-reform-act-flawed-but-fixable
Mataconis D. (December 15, 2013). Is A Stronger Executive The Cure For What Ails American Government? Outside the Belt Way. Retrieved from http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/is-a-stronger-executive-the-cure-for-what-ails-american-government/
