Increasing law enforcement to secure the US border

¶ … Law Enforcement to Secure the U.S. Border

Illegal immigrants in the United States have always been an issue of great division and controversy in the United States. On the one hand, the country's image as safe harbor for those who would work hard to achieve their dream, this on the other hand is clouded by the fact that undocumented immigrants are often paid such low wages that they cannot hope to make ends meet. The seriousness of the issue has enjoyed great attention not only among politicians and the public, but also within the press. Recent reports stated that the President would be strengthening the manpower at the country's borders to ensure that no illegal immigration or other activities take place. Although plans are indeed in place to mitigate the issue, it is also true that strengthening the country's security at its Mexican and Canadian borders will provide citizens with a greater sense of safety, while also promoting the country's economic health.

According to Camarota (2004, p.5), illegal immigration has not only had a devastating impact upon the well-being of American citizens and employees in general, but also upon the country's economy. The author for example quotes statistics to indicate that illegal households created more than $10 billion of net fiscal deficit at the federal level during 2002. Furthermore, were amnesty to be granted to such undocumented citizens would skyrocket the net fiscal deficit of the country to £29 billion.

A problem that contributes to this estimate is that households that are headed by illegal aliens generally impose strain upon the economy, as such households tend to pay less taxes than ordinary citizens, with quoted statistics placing the number at $16 billion. This created a net fiscal deficit of almost $10,4 billion, or were illegal households to be used in the calculation: $2,700 for every illegal household.

Therefore, on the strength of finances alone, it can already said that the immigration issues must be addressed at the level where the greatest problems occur -- at the country's borders. President Obama made several remarks regarding the issue in a speech at the American University School of International Service, Washington D.C. (The White House, 2010, Jul. 1). While he appears thoroughly aware of the issue itself, the President goes a step further to mention the complexity of the problem. He refers to the United States as a "nation of immigrants" that has always prided itself in its nature as a pioneering entity. Indeed, the very sentiment of liberty and justice is to provide equal opportunities for everyone. The nature of the country could however also be its undoing, as it attracts not only legitimate business people from across the world, but also illegitimate aliens who seek to make a living in the United States, whether by criminal means or otherwise.

On the other hand, legitimate immigrants have suffered greatly as a result of illegal immigration, often in the form of social prejudice and professional suffering in terms of very low wages. Indeed, the President mentions early immigrants like those from Europe and Asia, who suffered because of the fear and resentment from those already living in the country. The most common argument against immigration is probably that they will fill up employment positions and take job opportunities away from those who are living in the country.

According to the President, and indeed if history is any indicator, this is not a new issue. Immigration has always sparked controversy, fear and prejudice. At the same time, the President acknowledges the problem of illegal immigration, and the devastating effect that this can have not only upon the economy, but also upon the lives of those who enter the country illegitimately.

The problem of the "porous" American borders is also not a new phenomenon, and the issue is the most severe along the Southern border. One problem is that there is no tracking of visitors to the country, which makes it easy for them to avoid immigration laws by overstaying their visas.

According to the President, this has resulted in an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. This again creates two sets of problems, the greatest of which surround those who simply enter the country in search of a better life for themselves and their families. These men and women abide by the law in all respects apart from the laws on immigration. They work and live like regular citizens. However, their status as illegal aliens put them at significant risk of exploitation in the workplace in terms of less than minimum wage or violations of worker safety rules. They cannot demand fairness, because their illegal status prevents them. Secondly, crimes perpetrated against these aliens are unreported because they fear deportation or other forms of prosecution, and the tax issue has been mentioned above. Workplace practice, criminal justice and the economy are therefore all affected by the issue of illegal immigration, further emphasizing the fact that the country's borders should be safeguarded against this element.

Although on much rarer occasions than immigrants who enter the country in search of a better life, it does also happen that foreigners also enter the country for the purpose of illegal activities such as smuggling drugs, precious stones, or other substances. These are difficult to trace, precisely because the borders are not monitored with sufficient effectiveness.

One way of creating better monitoring practices at the country's border is to focus on the areas of greatest concern. Both President Obama and the U.S. Immigration Support (2010) site indicate that the greatest part of illegal immigration problems occur at the American border with Mexico. Illegal immigration from Mexico is generally caused by a much lower standard of living in that country, while an apparently better standard is in close proximity, at the other side of the border. The increasing influx of such immigrants also create problems in the labor market, which is not strong enough to cater for the rising Mexican demand for an increasing number of jobs. The ultimate effect is that many Mexicans, hoping to gain a better standard of living, are once again plunged into abject poverty by working for wages so low they cannot afford even the most basic necessities.

Because of the government's awareness of this problem, advanced technology and infrastructure have been implemented to improve monitoring practices at the country's borders, and particularly at the Mexican border. This has given rise to smuggling with substances other than drugs or diamonds; human smuggling has become the vehicle of the desperate. Called "coyotes," smugglers are often paid upfront or by means of a deposit to smuggle Mexican families across the border to the United States. The increase of immigrants entering the country in this way is evidence that sufficient security measures to handle the problem are not yet in place.

According to U.S. Immigration Support (2010b), the northern and southern borders of the country are not the only ways to enter the country illegally. Some immigrants from the Caribbean for example cross the Atlantic Ocean in homemade boats or sometimes tubes. Others use shipping containers, trucks or boxcars to travel to the United States, often in cramped and dirty conditions. In short, some illegal immigrants are so desperate for a new and better life than the one they are leaving behind, that they travel to the United States at great risk to their own lives. Some of the methods they use are so subtle and sophisticated that it is difficult for authorities to properly monitor the border of the country. A further problem is that American officials -- the very persons appointed to protect the borders of the country -- are themselves corrupt. Some immigrants are able to pay a bribe to these persons and in this way gain access to the country.