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My new guru: Lou Dobbs

By Patrick Osio, Jr./HispanicVista.com

  July 1, 2007

 

 

 

OK, I give up. I am now joining Lou Dobbs cadre of followers yelling for border enforcement, no amnesty for illegal immigrants, round them up and build the fence that will keep them out and enforce the laws prohibiting hiring undocumented workers.

 

The problem that I have is that the objectives as above described are well defined, but not the how to.  Yes there is a law calling for the building of 700 miles of fence, and to add another 6,000 Border Patrol agents to man the border. And yes, there is a call for enforcing employer hiring practices – but all these fall short of explaining to us how to accomplish this and how these actions will guarantee success. Just saying it doesn’t make it happen.

 

For starters, the failed immigration reform laws that have been defeated in the Senate had nothing to do with National Security as in “stop terrorists at the border.” By killing the idea that those in the US illegally will not be permitted to come forward, admit their illegal status (guilt) and pay a fine, and by not creating stricter laws prohibiting hiring of undocumented workers, what has been accomplished to secure the nation?

 

Additionally, since around 5-million of the 12-million illegal immigrants in the country entered through airports, seaports and Canada, how will these entries be stopped, how do we identify these unwanted intruders, and what are are we going to do with them?

 

Now, getting back to the Lou Dobbs manifesto for stopping intrusions from the Southern border: Build the 700-mile fence and add the additional 6,000 Border Patrol agents.

 

Seven-hundred miles on a 2000 mile border, seems far short of what it should be to be completely effective. Why not bite the bullet and go the whole way?  According to Dobbs the singular most important national issue that has to be addressed if we are to survive as a nation. I’m with him, but let’s do it right.

 

But, what we have as of now is a law calling for the building of the 700 mile fence.  We do have to pay attention to another guru on this issue, presidential candidate and US Congressman Duncan Hunter. He is the only one in Congress with actual border fence building experience.

 

Back in the ‘90s, Hunter had a fence built from the Pacific Ocean traveling east for 14 miles. Soon after the fence was erected he noted that it didn’t really do the complete job, so he had another 14 miles parallel to the first fence built. The 2-fences stopped around 80 percent of crossings over the fence. He now concludes that a 3^rd parallel fence is needed to stop the remaining 20 percent climbing over the fences.

 

Hunter has experience so we must listen. Thus the 700 miles we know will not work unless 3 parallel fences are built. There are savings to be had if the 3 fences are built at the same time, so the cost for the 2100 miles of fences can be kept down to somewhere between 15 to 20 billion dollars.

 

We all know that the 700 3-parallel fences won’t stop illegal crossings, but the idea is to channel crossers into the waiting arms of the Border Patrol. Genius, sheer genius.

 

However, this brings out another slight problem – 6,000 new Border Patrol agents?  This number is not nearly enough. The 6,000 added to the existing ranks will bring the force to around 18,000. Sounds like a good number, but the force also has to protect the Canadian border. Even assuming the 18,000 would be on the southern border that is only 9 agents per mile, and considering that there has to be 3 shifts, that’s only 3 agents per mile with no days off.

 

Lets be honest, the need is at least a force of 100,000 that would provide around slightly better than then 10 agents per mile per shift with 2 days a week off. Of course, this is only for the southern border, not for airports, seaports or Canadian border. And, there is a need for administrative support that at a 5 to 1 would add another 5,000 to the force. Payroll and benefits for the force would start at around $15-billion per year, and increase by several percentage points per annum with cost of living raises, retirement contributions, health care insurance, and inflation for equipment and supplies. 

 

There is also the question of equipment, vehicles, guns, night vision, communication and computer equipment, trailers, etc., etc. so add another 10-billion dollars for the capital investment and around 1-billion dollars per year for upkeep and replacements.

 

My new guru, Mr. Dobbs makes it clear that border security without enforcing illegal hiring practices of employers will not work. He is soooo right.

 

The estimate is that in 2007, over 31-million businesses in the US will file income tax returns, so the task of enforcing hiring practices is not an easy one, but one that has to be done in order to succeed in stopping illegal immigration. So we need to increase the ICE number of agents dedicated to policing and enforcing the law prohibiting hiring undocumented workers in effect since 1986.

 

To make a tough job easier, we should start with the agricultural sector where it is known that the majority of field workers are undocumented. Raid the fields, audit the books, and make it mandatory to submit Social Security numbers for checking their issuance.

 

Mr. Dobbs makes no bones about it. He dispels the idea that there are not enough Americans to do the jobs illegal immigrants do. If he is right, we got a winner.

 

If he’s wrong, not much is lost. Farmers will either pay a lot more to attract American workers, or move their operations out of country. We use far more oil than we produce, and are use to it, so big deal we will depend on foreign trade for our food.

 

But the good news is that Lou Dobbs is always right, just ask him.

________________________________________________________

 Patrick Osio, Jr is the editor of HispanicVista.com (http://www.hispanicvista.com).  Contact at: PosioJr@hispanicvista.com

(The opinions expressed by Patrick Osio, Jr. are solely his and do not necessarily reflect those of HispanicVista.com, editorial board of advisors or it’s contributing writers.)

Patrick Osio, Jr. has written a short but intensive manual on the Mexican perspective on numerous issues between our two countries. The manual is an in depth primer on the culture and protocol for better understanding Mexicans that in turn allows establishing personal and business relationships, and how to avoid the most common faux pas that can ruin relationships and business deals.

The manual is available through Electronic delivery for $9.95 making it possible to download the manual for save on your hard drive, printing its entirety or particular sections while reaping considerable savings over printed copies.