December 21, 2005 | By Nathaniel Ward

Securing America’s borders

The Heritage Foundation believes that America’s current immigration and border security programs are broken and in need of urgent repair. America should have a comprehensive plan to address the growing problem. Such a plan would include:

• No form of amnesty, which would reward law-breakers and disrupt the rule of law
• Improved border security measures to regulate entry and exit. Such a program should be flexible, and not fixed to certain locations, so officials can quickly respond to changing situations
• Increased internal enforcement, including cooperation with state and local law enforcement, to catch and deport illegal migrants
• A secure and efficient temporary visa program to allow businesses to hire foreign workers on a short-term basis if they need to
• Strengthened citizenship, to ensure new immigrants are well-versed in American civics and the English language

These measures would go a long way towards alleviating the crisis on America’s borders.

But another step will make this program complete, as Stephen Johnson explained in a paper earlier this week. Our leaders must recognize that domestic policy alone cannot resolve a problem that involves other countries, he wrote. “Latin America is the primary source of undocumented migrants entering the United States and, with few exceptions, the conditions that push people out are not getting better. Unless policymakers pay attention, efforts to secure borders and regulate temporary workers could be too little, too late.”

Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants cross our borders every month, most in search of a job and a better life. We could stop them all at the border—but at great taxpayer expense. It would be far easier to secure our borders if there were fewer people crossing them—and this can only happen if would-be immigrants have no incentive to migrate north.

So another step is needed to ensure America has a robust border defense: America must secure the cooperation of foreign governments so they improve quality of life for their citizens through programs of economic growth and expanded freedom. If their lives at home are better—if they are wealthier and happier, if they live under the rule of law—potential illegal immigrants will want to stay home; we wouldn’t need to stop them at all.

Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation.

Relevant Heritage research

• Stephen Johnson, "Immigration Plans Need a Foreign Policy Component," December 19, 2005
• Kirk Johnson and Tim Kane, “'Recapturing' Visas: A Sensible Temporary Fix for America's Foreign Worker Problem,” October 19, 2005
• James Carafano, Janice Kephart and Paul Rosenzweig, The McCain-Kennedy Immigration Reform Bill Falls Short, July 26, 2005
• Edwin Meese, James Carafano, Matthew Spalding, and Paul Rosenzweig, "Alternatives to Amnesty: Proposals for Fair and Effective Immigration Reform," June 2, 2005
• Edwin Meese and Matthew Spalding , “The Principles of Immigration,” October 19, 2004