Two Ends to a Funnel

Arizona (and now other states and localities) have thrown gas on the smoldering immigration debate. Hopefully this will net out to be a good thing over the long term. There is no question that the past several administrations have done a crappy job securing the boarder and dealing with illegal immigration. It seems to me that the government, once again, has made a simple problem far more difficult than it should be.

First off, I don't blame the destitute Latinos who try to cross into the US looking for work. If I were in their shoes, short on money and with a family to support, I would probably do whatever I could to get across the boarder. Second, only with the government in charge could adjudication of immigration requests take years. Why wait in line for years when I can run across the boarder tomorrow and take my chances. I sympathize with the decision and would likely be a runner if posed with the choice of waiting years to cross legally or crossing tonight and having a job next week.

So how to fix the immigration problem? First, secure the boarder. 5,000, 10,000 agents, whatever it takes, but stop the illegal crossings. Second, invest heavily in the adjudication process. Make a deal with anyone looking to immigrate to the US - give us 90 days and you will have a decision on your request - no exceptions. There are two ends to a funnel and there is no reason that we cannot give people who want to come to America the chance, without having to wait years for legal entry. Lastly, punish employers who hire illegals...maybe $ 25K per illegal on the payroll. I am pretty sure that would diminish demand for cheap illegal labor. If folks who want to come here can live with a 90 day process instead of a 3 year process, the incentive to make a dash across the boarder is greatly reduced. If employers will get slammed for hiring illegals, demand drops. Those who still want to cross illegally, for expedient or nefarious reasons will meet sufficient enforcement resources to keep the boarder safe.

See? Not really a hard problem. People who want to come here legally deserve quick adjudication of their request. Those who exploit illegal labor should be punished. Sufficient boarder enforcement agents clean up the rabble who insist on breaking the law. Not a hard problem for those of us who live in the real world. Too bad those in Washington can't get with the program.