Border Patrol Building Up

President Bush is attempting to gain support for new legislation that would attempt to increase both border control efforts and allow for an easier transition through legal immigration methods for Mexican workers. While visiting an Arizona border control facility that is working better than ever before, Bush extolled the virtues of stricter regulations to control illegal immigration that also open up better legal avenues for immigration, as well.

The goal is to beef up border security: more check points, more security walls, more employees, and more cooperation from the Mexican government in regulating these efforts. Bush believes that by increasing these security measures, fewer illegal immigrants will be able to gain access to the country at all.

The secondary goal is to allow for more legal measures of immigration for Mexican workers. Bush wants to create temporary work to help pave the way for easier legal immigration in the United States. He is not trying to deny entrance to the country for foreign workers, but rather control the illegal methods of entrance.

But Bush faces significant legislative roadblocks from his own party and the democrats. The idea of throwing more money at a problem that does not seem to be solving itself through previous measures is not exactly the most popular option, to state the least. Furthermore, there are some in congress who believe that creating temp work programs will only increase, rather than decrease, illegal immigration by encouraging foreign citizens to try and obtain work in the United States by any means necessary.

Some critics even believe that Bush is attempting to focus all of his attention on efforts that the public might be more willing to support than the Iraq war. With all of the controversies, questions, and resignations stemming from Operation Iraqi Freedom, some feel that Bush is attempting to draw focus away from more controversial issues with plenty of positive spin to bring additional support to his other efforts.

One of these newer goals is coming up on the international political scene again: blanket trade agreements. By appeasing the nation and congress with less controversial, more acceptable ideas and political rhetoric, many feel that Bush is once again trying to sidestep criticism of his international economic policies.

Whether or not Bush receives the support he needs to make his legislation come through, one thing is for certain: the issue of illegal immigration will most likely not be solved any time soon.

Sources:
AMnewyork. 10 April 2007.
Metro. 10 April 2007.