Border Security- The Obvious left undone!

It is estimated that over ten thousand illegal aliens cross our southern border daily, given the recent government audit report this may be significantly understated. Most are attracted by the opportunity for employment and the hope of being granted some form of permanent residency status in the future. Effectively sealing our borders has appropriately become the first priority in the thrust to comprehensively reform our nation’s immigration policies. Unfortunately the recently approved Border Security bill which provides for 700 miles of border fencing, increased border patrol manpower, and enhanced technology will not materially reduce the flow of illegal aliens as long as the lure of employment and the potential for gaining legal status in the U.S. exist.

Success could be achieved if legislation was passed which would immediately freeze the pool of candidates who would be considered for future inclusion in some form of temporary worker or earned citizenship status coupled with the subsequent imposition of employer sanctions.
Such legislation would require the voluntary registration of those illegal aliens presently in country including fingerprints, photographs, and biometric data. Only those who chose to register would be considered for eligibility for a future temporary guest worker program or pathway to permanent resident status. This registration would also provide for vetting their qualifications and the generation of tamper proof identification cards and/or an on line database of legally eligible workers. Only those included in this pool would be eligible for legal employment and enforceable employer sanctions could then be imposed.

This process would go a long way toward eliminating the incentive to illegally enter the country as the expectation of employment or future permanent resident status would be eliminated for all future illegal entrants. It would also serve to facilitate the early implementation of rigorous employer sanctions. Absent the opportunity for employment illegal immigration would be reduced by over 90% allowing the Border Patrol to focus its resources on the drug traffickers and terrorist threat. If we fail to take such action another twelve million illegal aliens will cross our borders before comprehensive reform is addressed.