The Wall Isn't Working
Parts of Trump's expensive vanity project on the southern border have been blown over by stiff winds. Other sections will have massive holes in them, by design.

Here's your obvious metaphor of the week: On Wednesday morning, a section of President Donald Trump's expensive and "virtually impenetrable" border wall was literally blown over.
Police in Mexicali, Mexico, confirmed to KYMA that about 130 feet of newly constructed border wall "fell on the Mexico side of the border, landing on several trees." Evidently, the sections had not yet been set in a concrete foundation. The Mexican government still isn't paying for the wall, but at least Mexico's trees are helping to prop it up.
That's not the only loss Trump's wall has suffered this week in its ongoing battle against Mother Nature. On Friday, The Washington Post reported that other sections of the border wall have huge holes, by design, to prevent flash floods from damaging it. Sources familiar with the wall designs tell the Post that the structure will act like a giant sewer gate during those periodic downpours, allowing water to pass through but causing rocks, trees, and other debris carried by the water to slam into it. To avoid potential damage, there 30-foot floodgates will be built into the wall, and the floodgates will be left open for months at a time during the rainy season.
John Ladd, a cattle rancher who has one such floodgate on his property—built into an older section of border wall constructed in 2008—tells the Post that he's seen smugglers drive pick-up trucks through the openings.
What was that about "virtually impenetrable"?
As Ladd's experience with that older section of wall indicates, these problems aren't Trump-specific. They will afflict any attempt to build a physical barrier through the rugged and diverse geography of the U.S.-Mexico border.
These are well-known problems. As David Bier wrote in Reason three years ago:
A 1970 treaty requires that the floodplain of the Rio Grande remain open to both sides of the border. The Obama administration attempted to build fences along the river anyway, but the treaty and the river's floods forced the barrier to be placed so far into the interior of the United States that it has many holes to allow U.S. residents access to their property. These also provide an opportunity for border crossers.
At the same time, the fence can cause Mexico to receive too much water. Even when a fence has holes, which a wall would not, debris can turn the fence into a dam. Thanks to the barrier, some floods have fully covered the doors of Mexican buildings in Los Ebanos, across the Rio Grande, while producing little more than deep puddling on the U.S. side. The International Boundary and Water Commission that administers the treaty has rebuffed the Border Patrol's attempts to replicate this disaster in other areas of the Rio Grande Valley….
Border Patrol agents have told Fox News that a border wall would still "have to allow water to pass through, or the sheer force of raging water could damage its integrity, not to mention the legal rights of both the U.S. and Mexico to seasonal rains." In 2011, for example, a flood in Arizona washed away 40 feet of steel fence.
Mother Nature, it turns out, doesn't care about immigration policies or lines on maps.
If nature doesn't destroy the wall, human beings will. Smugglers have already been spotted cutting holes in new sections of the wall, and there's a long history of people gaining access to the United States by tunneling or catapulting their way in. More than 200 such tunnels discovered since 1990, and another one was found just this week near San Diego, California.
In a rare moment of admitting to reality, Trump has even conceded that "you can cut through any wall."
Exactly. That's why spending an estimated $60 billion on what amounts to little more than a presidential vanity project is so foolish.
Even if it didn't get cut through or knocked over or otherwise circumvented, the wall wouldn't do much to limit illegal immigration. Most illegal immigrants to the United States don't hop the border; they land at airports and then overstay their visas. It also wouldn't do much to stop the flow of drugs into the United States, because they're mostly smuggled in through checkpoints.
The best way to reduce illegal immigration is to let more people into the country legally. And if you want to deter drug smugglers, your best option is to reduce their profits by legalizing drugs.
But of course, the true purpose of Trump's border wall has little to do with drugs or immigrants. It's a political symbol more than anything: a way to appeal to border hawks, a neat hook for the crowds at his rallies to chant. What does it matter if the wall can't stand up to a gusty desert wind? The whole project has always been just a lot of hot air.
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"The best way to reduce illegal immigration is to let more people into the country legally."
THANK YOU!
The best thing we can do is implement the preferred immigration policies of Reason.com's billionaire benefactor Charles Koch. Incidentally, this is also the best way to atone for America's ORIGINAL SIN of slavery.
#HowLongMustCharlesKochSuffer?
#60BillionIsntGoodEnough
I expect better Americans to raze every foot of wall constructed or improved during the Trump administration. If the wind helps with a head start, great!
You expect better Americans to vandalize things they pay for?
Sounds right for you.
Remember when Republicans were interested in tearing down walls?
I remember you being super butthurt about Trump never claiming to be the peace President and having your sad attempt at evidence laughed at. Then you ran.
It's a good analogy because controlling your national borders in the manner prescribed by the constitution and 150 years of legislative precedent is exactly like totalitarian communism.
+1000
-1000
You must be imaginging that. After all, we’re told “walls don’t work”, so why would anybody bother tearing them down?
Idiotic. Figures.
A big government project is a...failure? Gee, how shocking.
Ca blame BG for this one. In this instance the sections that fell over were still under construction. The foundations hadn't even been poured yet.
Boehm is lying by insinuation when he says they were "newly constructed"... and yes, he really thinks we're that stupid.
"Parts of Trump's expensive vanity project on the southern border have been blown over by stiff winds. Other sections will have massive holes in them, by design."
The subtitles are always bullshit propaganda, but I give Boehm credit for at least including the counter Narrative reality that the part blown over wasn't actually built yet, and the "massive holes" are only holes until they put the planned floodgates in them.
Normally, I'd have to go to other articles to find the truth contradicting Boehm's Narrative.
Progress?
Poor Boehm and unreason.
To bad we don't believe anything you liars say.
Is that an end portion of the wall? The regular portions of the wall are self-standing, so why are there long beams on one side and not the other side? Why are there trees near a wall which aids in getting over the wall?
The fact that Boehm still insists that Mexicans are not paying for the wall is hilarious. According to unreason, illegal Mexicans pay more in US taxes than they receive so the Mexicans are paying for our border wall.
Thanks Mexico!
The concrete had not yet cured, according to Pitones, and the wall panels were unable to withstand the windy conditions.
Good thing the Hoover Dam's cement was allowed to cure as designed before some media hacks unsuccessfully joked about how Mexicans spend their money on Border Walls.
Actually the interior of the dam is still curing.
Why did you say "actually" like you were correcting something?
The Lefty butthurt from Election 2016 is still curing too.
I pray daily that you're a troll or Russian because the stunning amount of ignorance you spew is breathtaking to behold.
you poor troll.
or Russian
Oh fuck, seriously? Are you "Tail-Gunner" Joe?
Go back to Salon or Jacobin if you're wanting that garbage to work.
“Pray daily”?
Haha. C’mon man. How far in your head is this dude? Or anyone else? And why? Damn, are you all such drama queens?
What are you funny red hat wearing morons so afraid of? You should be applauding the Mexicanos for helping support your great American way of life, so quit your whining! Until Mexico formally announces that they are paying for it, yeah no, not going to happen.
Poor little guy.
Mexicans have admitted they are paying for the border wall. Juan told me so.
Juan who? Your gardener?
No..my gardeners are Jose and Hose B.
With all your bitching and complaining that you constantly spew on this site, I highly doubt that's the case.
LOL right, undocumented immigrants paying taxes is Mexico paying for the wall. Pretty sure that's not what Trump meant or what any of his cultists thought he meant, but I guess you have to make up anything to cover for Trump's nonstop bullshit.
But hey, at least you admit undocumented immigrants pay taxes!
Mexico is paying for a lot of troops on their Southern border, which is a more effective wall for us.
We should help them build a real one.
The usual TDS shit - nobody has ever claimed the wall would be a big, beautiful impenetrable wall, if it
saves just one lifekeeps out just one immigrant it will be worth the cost, Trump never meant a literal wall, you people are too stupid to understand metaphor, mere knowledge of Trump's aggressive wall building has already worked to keep out tons of immigrants, just look at the numbers, it's not Trump's fault that Congress has held up funding, he's had so many enemies fighting tooth and nail for open borders, nobody could possibly have foreseen his plans to build the wall would meet so much resistance, he has in fact built hundreds of miles of wall but the media won't report on it, and you're a fat stupid failed loser and nobody likes you anyways.You are right about Trump never meaning a literal wall. Its important to remember that the "Wall" was something easy for Trump to remember at rallies. The details of immigration policy are a little too deep for President Trump. If you can't right it on a index card with a Sharpe, then its too much information.
If we would have adopted Gang of 8 law we would have fewer anchor babies and fewer future dreamers and fewer future parents of dreamers and anchor babies getting amnesty in the future. Bottom line on immigration—Republicans will only get a bad deal because the status quo is acceptable to Democrats...so take the bad deal and put the issue behind. Btw, Republicans have won several elections thanks to Cubans getting preferred treatment so so far they have benefited more from lax immigration policy.
I liked your "Ghost of Richard Nixon" sock better.
I liked your “Trump’s b hole smells like roses” sock better.
Ahahahahah cry more!
So when you do it, it's super funny, but when someone turns it back around on you it's "crying". If you pitiful, vile creatures didn't have double standards, you would have none at all.
He doesnt pretend to be a ghost in a terrible parody. Your boyfriend did try that.
I don't know what you are referring to, but I don't spend near as much time in here as you do.
Not as your DOL sock, anyway.
"If you can’t right it on a index card with a Sharpe, then its too much information."
Man you really showed us all just how dumb Trump is.
Even better that you can't refute it. His "briefings" are dumbed down to a level that a 5 year old could comprehend because he is so uninterested and dense.
But hey, he at least talks to morons like he is one of their own (he is truly) so what can ya do?
Lol refute it lololol
You don't even understand why you're being mocked.
I know, write?
So the other day I tried to have a conversation with you about immigration policy in a world of people who see natural rights as a preference. Do you have any interest in that conversation, or should I just assume that your reply where you decided to ignore them is how you intend to deal with it?
I thought I replied. But I don't usually get on here much in the evenings.
I was a little shocked to see you imply later in the thread that you're for illegal immigration in your discussion with Ken. What is your position on the subject? I honestly rarely know your position on most issues.
Anyway, if people see natural rights as a preference then I'm not sure how we ever get past the will of the majority deciding every single issue from immigration to gun control. That's a problem that libertarianism needs to figure out.
I guess you saw my reply, I didn't read your response here close enough before replying.
I did see it. As to my position, I think you read it, if there's a specific thing you want to know, feel free to ask.
"Anyway, if people see natural rights as a preference then I’m not sure how we ever get past the will of the majority deciding every single issue from immigration to gun control. That’s a problem that libertarianism needs to figure out."
I agree completely. What I was hoping for in that thread was a discussion about policy that may work with that idea, and the idea that libertarians will seemingly always be in the minority, in mind.
Ken was adamant that those people get "run over by market forces" but that isn't what happens, and he's hopelessly naive. Those people vote for people who mitigate the market forces for them, and run other people over instead. How, as a minority party, does libertarianism move forward with that in mind? We aren't ever getting libertopia, but what CAN we get? What can we do, pragmatically and realistically, in that type of environment?
Well Reason has tried to show the pragmatism of illegal immigration a few ways. One way that may gain some ground with conservative leaning people is the idea that immigrants pay into entitlements without ever receiving them. I don't like the idea of arguing for freedom in terms of growing the tax base, but I think that's a reasonable compromise here.
The system that I think has a chance of working is to grow the number of visas dramatically. Let people who wish to come here to work come here to work. Allow them to be above board and pay taxes. No pathway to citizenship (many of them don't even want it other than as a means to stay here without fear of deportation.) Pass a criminal background check to add the security piece.
One thing is for certain. Republicans are, and should be, skeptical of Democrats wanting immigration as a way of growing their voting base. But immigration and naturalization are two different things. You can have immigration with no opportunity for naturalization and alleviate those Republican concerns. It would be interesting if the R's could draft a bill as such and see how the D's vote. The D's position on this issue isn't about freedom either. Let them show that in a vote.
"The system that I think has a chance of working is to grow the number of visas dramatically."
I've always liked this idea, and still do, thank you for bringing it up. It seems to solve the major objections of most of the involved parties, without making them bleed too much.
It’s not that people consider natural rights to be preferences, it’s that your belief of what constitutes a natural right is simply wrong to begin with.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/04/trumps-insults-idiot-woodward-806455
I'm sorry, wasn't Obama the asshat who couldn't talk in front of a crowd unless he had half a dozen teleprompters and a complimentary blowjob? While Trump's able to improvise his speeches on the fly, if the rallies where he turns the teleprompters off are any indication.
The concept of "the wall" is simply a mass brainwashing tool.
It sure does expose the brainwashing of Lefties alright.
Nobody has ever claimed Trump's wall would be a big, beautiful, impenetrable wall? Pretty sure we all heard Trump say that countless times.
Someone's suffering from TDS, but it sure isn't us.
Coulter keeps ranting about it not being a wall, but other than her, no Trump supporters care.
It's the function that matters, not the form. Physical. Permanent. Significant impediment. The border control agents prefer the slats so they can see what's going on on the other side.
Trump keeps on ratcheting and ratcheting. The latest is going after those who go on the dole.
" if it saves just one life keeps out just one immigrant it will be worth the cost"
For billions of dollars? There are cheaper ways of keeping that immigrant out. How about penalizing employers that hire illegal immigrants?
Way to bury the lede at the end of the 2nd paragraph. This is why people laugh at you. Even wapo wasnt pushing this shit.
Evidently Boehms entire journalistic effort is to read twitter.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/washington-post-reporter-pushes-back-on-misleading-reports-of-border-wall-being-knocked-over-by-wind
Yeah, this is Shikha-level idiocy.
The problem is that some people think the wall was meant to keep immigrants out, which is false. The wall is meant as a symbol to get Trump's base riled up about immigration, and in that regard it is a resounding success. Actual immigration policy is hard and no one notices it, building a big fucking wall is easy and everyone notices it.
It's like the city of San Francisco issuing a non-binding resolution calling the NRA a terrorist organization. It wasn't meant to do anything, just signal to certain people that the Top Men had Good Ideas.
Like this comment.
What's especially funny about it is that the Democrats did exactly what Trump wanted by opposing it so fiercely. All he wanted was for them to complain so he could go back to his base and get em fired up to vote, and it worked.
The wall itself accomplishes almost nothing. It's a drop of water in the ocean in terms of budget, and it's going to do almost nothing in stopping things and people from crossing the border. The Democrats could've stolen all the thunder on this by just letting him build it and then pointing out that it was stupid and wasteful, but instead they gave Trump what he's always looking for: someone to argue with. It was a tremendously stupid hill to die on, which is exactly why the Democrats found it so appealing.
I agree 100% but here's the thing, at the end of the day giving a piece of candy to a crying whiny kid to shut him up gor a while or giving in to a screaming brat at the grocery store by getting him that toy he doesn't need doesn't accomplish anything. Plus, I don't like to see my money being tossed around like leaves in the fall just to prove a point! Fuck Trump and the donkey he rode in on.
Dead on.
Remember folks, jeff Kent a leftist.
Isnt*
I'm not Jeff. And noticing that the border wall is a symbolic $60B boondoggle for lazy and stupid xenophobes to rally around is hardly left-wing.
"jeff Kent a leftist" ??
Ha! You are either semi illiterate, a very careless proof reader, English is your second )or third?) language, or you are a bot.
Heh tha errant ) character shows that my proofreading s##ks too. 🙂
"Walls don't work because Open Borders Uber Alles."
"The problem is that some people think vaults are meant to keep your money safe, which is false. The vault is meant as a symbol to get Account holders riled up about theft, and in that regard it is a resounding success. Actual securing an account is hard and no one notices it, building a big fucking vault is easy and everyone notices it.
It’s like the Bank of America issuing a non-binding resolution to curb bank robbers. It wasn’t meant to do anything, just signal to certain people that the Bank had Good Ideas."
LOL... Ya, you convinced me -- I'm pulling ALL my account funds tomorrow and putting it all in a little red wagon with a back-up beeper on it.
Sure let more people in as soon as we end all social welfare programs. Make it 1900 again no welfare, foodstamps, social security, no nothing. You live or die by your own wits.
"The number of migrants stopped by authorities along the southern border continued to fall into the final month of 2019, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data released on Thursday"
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/southern-border-arrests-continue-decline-challenges-remain-immigration/story?id=68175370
Womp Womp.
That’s because it reached record levels prior to that. You are extremely dumb.
So it is working. I win.
It's back to FY18 levels. Thanks Trump!
So it's working. I win again.
Kinda like when Obama took credit for the largest reduction in the federal deficit after he jacked it up to over 1 trillion per year for the first 3 years of his presidency?
They still pretend FY09 wasnt signed by obama or that obama counted the deficit neutral repayments from TARP to "lower" his deficit hit.
Maybe that's the way it's supposed to work. You lay a hunk of cheese in the middle and SPLAT!
"What was that about "virtually impenetrable"?"
OK so Boehm is an aspie?
“I will build a great wall -- and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me --and I'll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words."
Donald Trump 6/2015
Lookin good there Donald. Nice wall. Great great. Nobody builds them better.
Everything Trump touches turns to shit. He's got the reverse Midas touch.
Good thing the Mexican pay so much in US tax money to cover it.
Trump's campaign website made it very, very clear that he intended a direct transfer of funds to cover the wall, not tax receipts.
Your trump whispering bullshit translation service is no use here.
Poor sock troll De Oppresso Liber. Has to pay for the border wall AND cannot stop Trump.
God damn I love how butthurt losing makes you.
Lowest unemployment in a generation. Highest GDP growth since 9/11. Poor Trump. Woe to America.
Thanks, Obama.
Jeff, definitely not a leftist.
Again, I can read a fucking chart. And the unemployment trend started in 2009, as has the bull market. But keep on deluding yourself.
Point out on the doll where Trump touched you?
He lied to you. Time to accept that, or look like a moron. Your choice.
Illegal border crossing are down.
Mexico has built us a much better wall than the one Trump has. And they're paying for it all themselves.
It's called 'Mexico'. And they're enforcing THEIR southern border. And that enforces OURS.
Trump said we'd get sick of the winning. I gotta say, I haven't. But, every now and again, I do wonder what it's like for you people. How does it feel to just lose and lose, and lose again?
You're losing too, you're just too dumb to realize it.
Remember when Jeff said he didnt care about Chinese human rights abuses because he had a right to cheaper goods? Good times.
I'm not Jeff, you pathetic virgin. Why not argue the merits instead of trying to create another conspiracy theory? Don't you retards have enough of those?
Mexico defending their southern border is a bigger deal than getting them to pay for a wall on our shared border.
We have a trade agreement with Mexico and Canada. Mexicans benefit as trade expands, and have an interest in keeping that benefit to themselves. Win-win.
37D chess.
If Mexico can get the cartels under control, they're headed for good times. We're building natural gas pipelines to Mexico. They'll have cheap and steady power from US fracking. They'll take a lot of the manual manufacturing for the US/Canada market from China. We decouple from Chinazis.
GEOTUS provides!
To avoid potential damage, there 30-foot floodgates will be built into the wall, and the floodgates will be left open for months at a time during the rainy season.
If only someone had foreseen this.
Ya think? WTH was the Army Corps of Engineers not thinking?
The wall was only a cheap symbol. People who think it would actually prevent any sort of immigration are idiots.
Like the one in San Diego that resulted in a 90% decrease in border crossings?
Please feel free to keep crying like a pathetic little bitch because your wife's cabana boy has to travel an extra 300 miles and crawl through a tunnel with 500 lbs of coke to come trim her hedges though.
"trim her hedges"
Euphemism?
WALLS IMPLODING!!!!!!!!!
Reason logic:
Some people will get through the border wall.
Therefore, the entire border wall is a complete waste of resources.
Despite wearing a motorcycle helmet, some motorcyclists will still die.
Therefore, don't bother with motorcycle helmets.
TechMagick logic:
Screen doors on the submarine will block some water, therefore we have to continue using screen doors on submarines!
So you want an even bigger wall?
> The Wall Isn't Working
NA NA NA NA NA I CAN'T HEAR YOU NA NA NA NA NA NA
This article by Eric Boehm is a great example of BAD reporting.
The Headline "The Wall Isn't Working" with a sub header of
"Parts of Trump's expensive vanity project on the southern border have been blown over by stiff winds." is an example of bias.
Police in Mexicali, Mexico, confirmed to KYMA that about 130 feet of newly constructed border wall "fell on the Mexico side of the border, landing on several trees." Evidently, the sections had not yet been set in a concrete foundation. The Mexican government still isn't paying for the wall, but at least Mexico's trees are helping to prop it up.
Even if Eric Boehm isn't ashamed, Reason should be. I get that Eric Boehm does not like President Trump. He was not my preferred choice and quite frankly neither of the two major parties nominated anyone I could vote for. The reality is that with elections you win some and you lose some. We have elections so we can vote out and vote in our elected officials.
The problem is that not everything that President Trump or Obama does is good or evil. However Eric Boehm has Trump Derangement Syndrome, just like many conservatives has Obama Derangement Syndrome. It's one thing for a voter to contract the TDS/ODS, but it's appalling that a reporter for Reason to be afflicted.
I expect Reason to be tough, thoughtful and fair, but lately there have been shots taken that are not reasonable, thoughtful or fair. For example taking shots at the hypocrisy of Republican Senators while failing to mention the equal hypocrisy of Democrat Senators.
Most of Reason magazine seems to have TDS. I'm thinking they've been in the swamp too long. They've lost touch with normal america.
You could just go to Brietbart or One America News. Problem solved.
Ah, the "if you dont like it you can leave" response. Clever.
Libertarians are nothing like normal America.
If you want to fit in with the crowd there are other places.
See above
The very real and very demonstratable Trump Derangement syndrome, is a problem with Reason magazine and has been for a good deal of Trumps time in office.
Walls work, this isn't even debatable. Its why they surround the white house, army bases, and in nearly every case...your home. Its why we have security gates at apartment complexes.
Israel uses them to keep Palestinians out without first going through a checkpoint. Terrorism dropped like a stone when they did that.
Will some people slip through? You bet! Lots of them. Will there be less people coming in? You bet, A lot less.
The hatred for the wall has nothing to do with cost or effectiveness, its not even about the scary R word that gets tossed out like candy at a carnival...Racism!!! (insert sanctimoniousness here). No one actually believes that in their core, its just a goods virtue signal so they can feel better about themselves.
Its as simple as this. Trump is bad, ergo everything he proposes or says is likewise bad, so...Wall is bad.
TDS. Checked the DSM. Can’t find it.
Walls work. All of those you mention are military walls. The Gaza border, not a wall really a multilayered military defense border. Manned by soldiers with guns, backed by tanks, artillery, the best air force on the planet for its size, faced with an opponent which refuses to give up. They fire over, tunnel under, use novel weapons like incendiary balloons, reject any peace proposal.
Death and destruction occurs on a regular basis. It is not there to defend against asylum seekers, economic migrants or trade. It is there to defend against a very determined enemy wanting nothing less than death and destruction for Israel and its people. It is a war. A very real one.
I am as pro Israel as you can get. I know why they are forced to maintain those borders and conscript the young people to defend them.
Is that what you want with Mexico? Because I don’t see the equivalent of Hamas and Islamic Jihad there.
"Even if Eric Boehm isn’t ashamed, Reason should be. "
If they were capable of shame for their dishonesty, the last 5 years of articles would have been very different.
Well, one thing is absolutely certain.
The absence of a wall is also not working.
The absence of a wall keeps a steady supply of orphans and their tears to polish Koch's monocle.
#WontSomeoneThinkOfCharlesKoch
It will work, just give it time. In about 500 years it will be a money making tourist attraction.
More like an archeology project. That pile of steel and concrete won’t last 20 years.
A very subpar article with a click bait false headline.
Reason's quality of reporting is sinking to new lows!!
Reads like left wing hackery, not open, true Libertarian commentary.
Mexico is paying to have their troops act as a wall while it is being built. Illegal Immigration is down 75% and Mexico is paying for the reduction with it's troops. Not quite how we expected Mexico to help pay for the wall, but it appears to be helping a lot.
Saying a wall does not work before it is even built is begging the question quite a lot!
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"Most illegal immigrants to the United States don't hop the border; they land at airports and then overstay their visas. It also wouldn't do much to stop the flow of drugs into the United States, because they're mostly smuggled in through checkpoints."
Surprise, surprise but neither statement is true. Since no one really knows how many people sneak over the border that statement is based on, well nothing. The best estimates still put the illegal crossings in the 3-500,000 thousand range. The visa overstays are running around 500,000 but those numbers decrease by about 20% within the first 6-9 months. You also can't make a good comparison over the past 2-3 years because so many people are claiming amnesty because of the Flores agreement loophole. Close that and the illegal entry numbers will increase significantly. So you could say that it's estimated that more people overstay their visas but not most.
As to the drug issue, most of the drug apprehensions happen at the checkpoints but that's very different than saying most of the drugs are smuggled through the checkpoints. As the "journalist" pointed out we just found a new tunnel and again we have no idea what is coming across the border undetected.
We don't stop all speeders. We don't stop all rapists and I don't know of any enforcement action that stops all of any crime. But somehow if a physical barrier doesn't stop every person or every drug it's worthless. Considering what illegal aliens cost us (in dollars; forget the deaths and rapes) it doesn't take much to make a physical barrier, with electronic monitoring pay for itself.
"The best way to reduce illegal immigration is to let more people into the country legally."
It's early in the year but this statement will clearly make the Top 10 dumbest immigration comments of the year.
At what number will the legal immigrants allowed in begin to decrease the number of illegal aliens who enter? Two million? Five million? How about a billion?
And what do you plan to do with all of these people? And since those that are criminals will not be allowed in legally won't they come in through our porous borders?
Eric, please write about something you know about. There are enough idiots out there that will start quoting you. http://www.aviac.us
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"...The best way to reduce illegal immigration is to let more people into the country legally. And if you want to deter drug smugglers, your best option is to reduce their profits by legalizing drugs."
This sounds overly simplistic.
The first part presumes that the people breaking the law are doing it because they have no choice. This is a premise that should be rejected outright.
This is a problem I've been reading about since the 80s and it's finally garnering serious attention and Reason seems to think going the Baghdad Bob 'nothing to see here' route is a legitimate position.
I would like to know how current immigration laws (which could use some liberalizing it sounds like) create this massive illegal immigration problem.
No, they don't. Most of the illegal migrants are low skill, low wage blue collar workers who wouldn't be let into the country under any reasonable legal immigration scheme either. And the reason why they can live and work comfortably in the US is because they can disappear in a large population of Spanish speaking legal immigrants, people who will also lobby and vote on their behalf. Increased legal immigration from Latin America and Mexico obviously also leads to increased illegal immigration.
The only way Boehm's premise could be true is if we adopted fully open borders.
“The best way to reduce rape is to let more people into your kooch consensually"
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The entire premise of the article is a lie. The bit about the wind blowing the wall is a complete distortion of what actually occurred. Fucking lazy and pathetic journalism. Reason has become almost unreadable and is assimilating into the fake mainstream media.
Except he highlighted far more problems than just that pathetic fail lol
Poor Trump cultists, they just can't accept that Trump's wall is an utter fail.
Trump's wall is a success. This article only provided small anecdotes. Trump's overall immigration policy is reducing the flow of illegal immigration. Despite opposition and apathy from Congress, Trump has achieved a reasonable level of success with enforcement of immigration laws.
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Then build a DMZ and toast anyone caught crossing it. Mine fields, machine gun positions and roving patrols. If you are caught in their, you are in a free fire zone.
We do not have the resources to allow this invasion to continue. And since you offer no true alternative, Eric, fuck off.
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There is zero evidence that that even works. That is, increased legal immigration may well lead to increased illegal immigration.
But, hey, silver bullets and simplistic ideas--it's what Boehm is all about.
There is zero evidence that it does not work.
There is plenty of evidence that current policy does not work. It is madness to think that doubling down on it will.
Has drug policy worked? Have criminal penalties for prostitution worked? Oh we are all OK with changing those laws. Are there downsides to those things? Yes there are. So where are the libertarians on this board.
There are, however, plenty of good reasons to believe that it doesn't work.
Correct, current US-style enforcement of immigration laws doesn't work. That's why we should look to countries whose immigration enforcement does work. What do they have in common? They have abolished jus soli, they have a secure national ID system, they require documentation of legal presence for employment, banking, housing, education, and telecommunications. So, let's do what is proven to work.
You know what's proven not to work? Open borders. Countries that can't control their borders cease to function, and then cease to exist.
100 feet of wall under construction falls due to a freak windstorm. That stuff happens during construction. ( I was in construction for 35 years) If there needs to be an 8 foot flood gate in 800 miles of wall do you think it would funnel the illegals to that one area? Do you think it may be easier to monitor that one area? The wall works. Trump keeps winning. Get over it.
Reason has become the open borders wing of the DNC. Trump has done a great job on immigration given the incredible opposition he has faced. Physical barriers are an important part of border security and immigration enforcement. Despite strong and determined opposition, Trump is delivering on his campaign promises. Trump has obtained unprecedented cooperation from Mexico on immigration. Mexico has stopped caravans through its southern border. Effectively, Mexico is paying for immigration control into southern Mexico.
Open borders as advocated by Reason, is pure madness. There are billions of poor who want to come the USA for work and generous welfare benefits. The major cities in the USA are becoming choked with traffic and high housing costs. The USA debt and deficit spending are already exploding without the impact of hundreds of millions of immigrants provided welfare benefits for education, health care, housing, food, ...
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Yes well, just a wall isn't enough. The army must repel invaders by force, that's the 1st duty of an army after all. If the neighboring power continues to allow its territory to be used to to invade U.S. territory, declare war and seize a 10-mile strip along the border. Depopulate it and make it a free-fire zone. That's how you thwart a civilian invasion.
Limited, legal immigration - Yes.
Invasion - No.
Libertarianism for U.S. citizens - Yes.
Open borders - No.
Rule of Law.
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