Deacon923
Scooter Banks
Respectfully disagree on the concept that border security has to come first. This is a Republican talking point to stall action on any other aspect of immigration. It is not tenable for several reasons:
1. Immigration hardliners will always move the goalposts on border security. No matter how much money is spent or how few migrants get through, they will always want more money and less migrants, and they will always say they won't negotiate until their demands are met.
2. The physical border only represents half or less than half of illegal entry. Visa overstays account for the other half. So the demand to control borders as a starting point is arbitrary.
3. The nation has real workforce needs and real humanitarian issues that need to be resolved. Putting all that on hold until hardliner's border security needs are satisfied (which will never happen, see point 1) just means wasting more time, losing more productivity and tax dollars, and harming more people.
All that said, a large majority of Americans want reasonably strong borders, only a tiny fringe supports open borders or a 'we'll take everyone' mentality. A state does need to control its borders to the extent reasonably possible, and Democrats need to message that they are serious about border security and about demanding that people follow the law. The problem is right now the law is irretrievably broken, and it's a delicate balance to say on the one hand there should be a path to citizenship for people who are currently undocumented, but we're going to fix the system and demand that future immigrants follow it. Nonetheless that is what needs to happen.
1. Immigration hardliners will always move the goalposts on border security. No matter how much money is spent or how few migrants get through, they will always want more money and less migrants, and they will always say they won't negotiate until their demands are met.
2. The physical border only represents half or less than half of illegal entry. Visa overstays account for the other half. So the demand to control borders as a starting point is arbitrary.
3. The nation has real workforce needs and real humanitarian issues that need to be resolved. Putting all that on hold until hardliner's border security needs are satisfied (which will never happen, see point 1) just means wasting more time, losing more productivity and tax dollars, and harming more people.
All that said, a large majority of Americans want reasonably strong borders, only a tiny fringe supports open borders or a 'we'll take everyone' mentality. A state does need to control its borders to the extent reasonably possible, and Democrats need to message that they are serious about border security and about demanding that people follow the law. The problem is right now the law is irretrievably broken, and it's a delicate balance to say on the one hand there should be a path to citizenship for people who are currently undocumented, but we're going to fix the system and demand that future immigrants follow it. Nonetheless that is what needs to happen.