Harvard International Review
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Immigration reform—whether aimed at making work in the United States less desirable to potential immigrants, or aimed at making work in the United States easier—would prove to be a far more levelheaded first measure than the construction of a continent-wide wall.
US Politics
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In order for the US-Mexico border wall to be as successful as those of Israel, Egypt, and Spain, many changes to the proposal would have to be made. First, the United States would have to greatly increase the size of its Border Patrol in order to respond to breaches in the wall efficiently, given its immense length.
US Politics
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More importantly, the government must realize that a wall alone will not accomplish all of the Trump Administration’s immigration goals. Such a wall would have to be accompanied by effective legislation that could be oriented either towards making it less desirable for immigrants to work in the United States, or towards making the path to citizenship easier. The former follows the style of Israel, which was successful, but may be undesirable for the United States due to the substantial amount that immigrants contribute to the economy. If the United States were to discourage immigrants from working in the country, the economy could potentially suffer a large blow. The latter policy orientation shows more promise in decreasing the number of illegal crossings. If the US immigration system were more streamlined, and applying for a work visa or permanent residency were quicker and easier, then illegal immigration would not be as great a problem, since these immigrants would have no reason to try to cross illegally. Regardless, the wall alone would not be an effective solution; effective legislation, whatever that may entail, must accompany it.
US Politics
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