Immigration reduction

Ezra Klein:

I'm a little puzzled, though, on why enforcement is so impossible. You can't drop migration to nothing, to be sure, but the utter pessimism as to its reduction strikes me as peculiar.

The U.S.-Mexico border is almost 2000 miles long through an unforgiving desert. The line itself--which extends from California to the southern tip of Texas--creates in many places a de facto boundary on giant parcels of private land. Another big chunk of it is a river. There are relatively few roads connecting the two countries. It's a pretty harrowing place and obviously impossible to enforce in any complete way. The government could, of course, spend lots and lots of money patching up parts of it here and there using troops, a fence, etc. Faced with that, immigrants then enter the country through the other parts of it--the more dangerous parts--and die in greater numbers. This might reduce immigration, but I think the pessismism is pretty well warranted.

Comments

[anon]

Ezra has never lived in California, has he?

[Ezra]

Ezra comes from Southern California. In any case, doesn't that grant my point, Brian? you can reduce immigration -- and one of the side effects of that are more Mexicans dying in the desert. That's obviously not my preference -- I'm a stronger supporter of the amnesty and increased immigration than just about anyone else writing on the subject -- but reductions are possible.

[juan]

Why is a guest worker program inhumane, cabron? If you had seven kids and lived in two or three rooms, you'd want to get out of the house for a couple of years, too!

[anon]

I'm amazed at politicians who demand stricter immigration so that we "know who's in our country." Presumably, they want to use this as a tool to fight - or at least try to prevent - terrorism. This could be done by cutting off non-essential entry from the the middle east, including student visas; and focusing deportation on "high risk" individuals. There are human rights questions of course - as well as political correctness issues - but this is a project that could be achieved in practical terms, might improve saftey within our borders, and would not have the grave economic consequences associated with deporting 12 million Mexicans, as McCain proposes. And a wall? Gimme a break! How 'bout a moat, too? With crocodiles!

[anon2]

ezra - i'm a stronger supporter of freedom of religion than just about anyone else writing on the subject -- but burning down all the churches is possible. What are you talking about??

[Brian]

Here's the thing, Ezra. I wouldn't have assumed it was your preference--and don't. But when you talk about "pessimism" about reductions, it sounds like you're saying "Buck up, boys and girls! Reduction is possible, and FUN TOO!" Hence the post. But you know I love you.

[Ezra]

But no, the question keeps being dodged. Migration isn't merely a fence. Crackdowns on employers, national ID cards, incentive systems wherein an illegal immigrant gets a green card for turning in an employer who has illegals...all these things count as enforcement, and all these things, if sufficiently pursued, could work.

[Ezra]

Migration=enforcement.

[Brian]

I'll take that:

What will need to happen for the number of people in Mexico who try to cross the border to drop, you're going to have to see the opportunity costs of trying to cross drop significantly. Making it more difficult for them to find work is one way. But crackdowns and national IDs and the rest are difficult, and surmountable. In the end they're marginal methods compared with making border crossing a more life-threatening endeavor than it already is.

But deporting workers who get caught isn't really part of this. They return to Mexico, their families stop eating, they contribute to Mexico's own unemployment problem in some small way, and then suddenly the incentives for them to try again smack them in the face. This will happen either forever or until a). There are few places in the country they can work (this seems unlikely) or b). Their likelihood of surviving the cross drops drastically.

[anana mouse]

Yes, what we need is a DEPRESSION and massive unemployment and millions of middle class people losing their homes. I'm thinking october '08.

Then, if the Mexican economy starts prospering, Ezra can go there. I'm certain that they will welcome him, because he's "a stronger supporter of the amnesty and increased immigration than just about anyone else writing on the subject."