U.S. needs humane immigration solution

Recent policies are having an impact along the U.S. border with Mexico. Now it's time for Congress to forge a comprehensive immigration bill.EditorialDenver PostMarch 11, 2007
Life is changing quickly and clearly on America's southern border.
Fences that cost millions of dollars are going up as a vast network of infrared cameras, radar and heat and motion detectors are dispatched as part of a virtual wall stretching along the no-longer- imaginary line between the U.S. and Mexico. Meanwhile, thousands more border patrol agents are joining National Guard troops policing the vast stretches of land between the two countries.
And, perhaps most important, detention centers are being built where thousands of illegal immigrants can be housed and then sent back to their homelands. Until now, tens of thousands of illegal crossers from countries besides Mexico - even countries that are hostile to the U.S. - were simply released and allowed to roam free.
Numbers are down this year
The Denver Post's four-day series "Fortress America" shed light on a number of measures over the past few years that have made it more difficult for immigrants to illegally cross into the U.S. from Mexico. The statistics bear that out, as do the anecdotal tales of merchants on the Mexican side of the border who say the numbers of crossings has dropped dramatically this year.
One reason may be that many illegals already in this country are staying put, hoping to be here if Congress approves some type of amnesty. Others say a sluggish housing industry has diminished the work opportunities, while others point to beefed-up border security. In Colorado, tough, new immigration laws passed by the state legislature, combined with increased border security, have created a severe shortage of migrant farm workers. State officials are considering having prisoners work the fields instead.
We're pleased to see the increased border enforcement, even knowing there are still holes. It's imperative that the United States control its border in order for a comprehensive immigration plan to work - a plan that could provide workers for those Colorado farms.
"It's never been this hard" to cross, said Gerardo Carbajal, a 17-year-old who had been back and forth six times before being nabbed by the U.S. Border Patrol. He told The Post's Michael Riley that he'll now return home to Guanajuato rather than try to cross illegally again.
For many in the U.S., that's a success story - that is, if it's true. As America tries to secure its borders, one thing is clear: We should never underestimate the will and spirit of someone who knows they can make a better living for themselves and their families on the U.S. side.
Finding the holes in the border
If the U.S. erects a fence, or increases patrols, or if word spreads that a no-nonsense border town judge is locking up illegals, much of the flow of immigrants and those who smuggle them into the country shifts to more lax areas. When it became tougher to cross the border at Texas or California, smugglers shifted their routes to Arizona.
With a guest-worker program, immigrants could move freely - and more safely - between countries. But if Congress approves a program with a limited number of worker visas - matching willing workers with jobs, for example - border control still will be needed. Homeland Security director Michael Chertoff has said the billions spent securing the border will only work if there's a guest-worker program channeling the flow.
Doris Meissner, former head of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, points out that there are cheaper ways to reduce illegal immigration. Creating an effective system to check the legal employment status of every worker, for example, and then cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants would stem the tide and cost much less.
But building a wall and securing the border can also be seen as a political statement, and one that may play an important role in shaping a bipartisan immigration reform package in Congress.
Get serious about reform
With a willing president and a new Congress, we urge the nation's leaders to get serious about approving a plan that continues to fortify our borders while allowing businesses to hire willing workers. Immigrants will continue to come here without such a plan - some suggest they may even try to travel by boat if the land borders are sealed - so it's up to Congress to create a more humane and responsible system.