The wall is not coming along very well.
However I have noted the key points that are needed for immigration reform in the U.S. that would be supported by the majority of citizens. As a reminder these are:
- A wall (consisting of both physical barriers, electronic surveillance, and patrol officers) on our southern border greatly reducing illegal crossings.
- A 90 day period in the U.S. for all illegal immigrants to register with the government. Those without felony convictions will be allowed to stay. Those who fail to register will be deported as well.
- A 6 year visa for the registered illegal immigrants. The visa will be renewable after six years. This probably covers 11 million people.
I see that Biden is proposing something similar to step 3 with a 8 year process towards citizenship with a green card. The problem is that unless the border is secure the majority of citizens will not support the process. Couple with point 2 - if you don't know who is in your country (via registration) then you don't own your country.
Most illegal immigrants are here for economic opportunity. Let's bring them out into the "daylight" rather having them remain hidden in our economy. Have them pay taxes, be treated fairly by employers, use local banks, and be respected members of the community.
Along with this we need to strengthen E-Verify and fine employers who do not use this system properly. We should also have a national effort to teach illegal immigrants English to improve their employment prospects as well.