Free Markets, Free People

We're into our 4th year since 9/11 and we finally get a serious policy speech about the importance of securing our border and stopping illegals from entering the country. Reminds me a little of closing the barn door after the cows have left.

On the subject of trying to discourage the entry of illegals, one has to be aware that there are two groups that have to be addressed in any solution on the southern border. Mexican nationals and other than Mexican (OTM) nationals.

What we've always done with Mexican nationals is load them on a bus, take them across the border and drop them off. Many times they'd be back in the US before the Border Patrol's bus returned from Mexico. Now, apparently the US is doing something called "interior repatriation":

I find it more than a bit ironic that a blog whose tagline is “Free Markets, Free People” takes a stance that is contrary to both ideals. The huge influx of immigrants (legal and illegal) is filling a need for low cost labor that can’t be filled by people that are already living here. Additionally, people everywhere strive for a better life for themselves and their families, what advocates “Free People” more than letting people choose to live anywhere that they can afford to do so?

The terrorism concerns are facile at best, the terrorists of 9/11 were in the US legally so any efforts to stem the flow of illegal immigration is going to is closer to closing the barn door after the egg is broken. The only way to come close to ensuring that terrorists, or others intent on causing the US harm, don’t enter America is to completely close the borders a la East Germany.