Border Security

The issue of border security is real. It has been managed continuously since we had borders. Who can enter the country? Who cannot? Should there be a free flow of immigrants to our land? How many years during our history was there free flow? How many years were our borders closed to immigration. And what is the history for all the between years?

We have the INS – Immigration and Naturalization Service. They are in the executive branch of the federal government. They have the task of implementing immigration and citizenship laws, rules and regulations. These rules, regulations and laws change. They constitute an enormous body of printed pages of law; and then of process, procedure and regulations. The body of law is confusing. It is altered formally and informally to match the changing needs of the country. It has been this way for much of our history.

And the border; not one but many, forming a continuous line on land, sea and air demarcating the USA from all other nations. People cross these ‘lines’ all the time. fishermen, boaters, smugglers, casual travelers, immigrants, business travelers, and so forth. Who is who and what status do each have? This is a continuous process 24/7/365.

Criminal activity including drug smuggling are the primary targets of the INS and their enforcement crews. ICE and Homeland Security are all involved. Then immigration – legal and illegal – is the target of their efforts.

All of this describes the context of the simple battle cry “border security.” It is not a simple situation. It is a complex context with layers of many other contexts.

And the system managing this issue has been broken for generations. Complex and almost unmanageable. Congress has the responsibility and authority to repair the problems. They haven’t; not for generations. Presidents have grumbled about this for many years. Yet they are not in charge of the solution. They can only muddle through the broken mess of policy, regulations, rules and laws that have been compiled over time.

It is time a task force of knowledgeable persons study the issues and recommend an entirely new system to manage it. After proper discussion in Congress, it should be passed as law and forwarded to the president for his signature. Then dump the old system entirely, replacing it with the new.

Meanwhile, we must manage what we have. And we are. With all the problems and challenges, the nation is safe and struggles through. There is no border emergency at this time. Furthermore, there are many tools to manage border security – troops, ICE, Border Patrol, electronic surveillance methods, satellite surveillance, and much more. Walls, fences and the like are also useful in places; just not everywhere. Tunnels, air routes, ocean approaches – all of these are being watched continuously.  Keep at it.

How much will it cost for short-term solutions? And is that money available currently? Yes, the money is available. New funds are voted on often. And they are appropriated. Large sums, as well. So there is no emergency over funding. If we are to fund a huge wall system along the border with Mexico, then that strategy should be discussed, voted on and managed accordingly. Most of the time it has been rejected as too simplistic a solution, not effective.

So, there it is. The stark reality of a non-issue. Yet we are weathering a government shutdown. For no reason. Just politics. Fake news manufactured by the president. All for fun and games. While real people are being hurt and inconvenienced as well.

The republican leader in the Senate should take up this issue for a vote and be done with it. But he is absent. He is a political hack on full display. And a coward shirking his duty.

The travesty of this sad situation is real. Will we allow it to define America and We The People?

Enough!

January 22, 2019