[Shocker]

Good point 9th engineer, but even then, we can fix our side of the border in any way we want, we can make it more difficult to cross the border, we can do as tw says and create a truely free market in the United States, but even then, the problem of illegal immigration into the United States will still be there.

There are those that think that illegal immigration is only caused by solely economic reasons, and yes that does play a part, but there are also causes within the originating country which we in the U.S. cannot fix. Ultimatly, Mexico will have to take responsibility for thier own problems and inequalities which are driving their citizens to cross illegally into the U.S. To say the U.S. and it's policies are responsible for the flow of illegals is only looking at one small part of the problem. Of course, indirectly the policies of the U.S. are drawing people here illegally, but it isn't the policies you may think. Instead they come here because as they are right now, our immigration laws as well as our society are promoting illegal immigration. First, if a person is successful at getting into our country illegally, they can either steal someones social security number fairly easily and get a job or just do work "under the table". They run the risk of getting caught, but the INS does not have the resourses necessary to go after everyone, so unless they are caught at the border by the border patrol, they will more than likely go for some time without raising too much suspicion. Even then, if they do end up getting caught, what is the worst that will happen to them? Well if they haven't broken any more laws in the US, then they get a slap on the wrist and a free ticket back home, just so they can come here again. So this tells us that we are not strict enough, not consistent enough, and not providing our enforcement agencies with enough resources to effectively do their job.

Also, with the political and social climate the way they are in the US today, now more than ever is there an incentive to come illegally to the US. To do it legally costs money and time, but with talk of amnesty and other "paths to citizenship" makes it much easier and cheaper to do it that way. Also, the disconnect between agencies of the government as well as the relative ease for illegals to recieve government assistance and healthcare not only cost us millions each year, but also take away from what could be used for legal citizens. And of course, because of the high standard of living and the relative laxness and ease that I mentioned already make the US an ideal place for them to come. Now, if the socioeconomic environment of the US were similar to that of Mexico for instance, don't you think that people trying to escape Mexico would instead go somewhere else?