First, go back and read that title. How amazing is that?
Six months into a new administration, how much has changed! In fact, in the first 100 days of the Trump administration, daily border encounters dropped by 93 percent. U.S. Customs and Border Protection say that they have total functional control of the border, meaning the border is closed to illegal crossings.
It’s kind of amazing. For the previous four years, the Biden administration had utterly (and some think purposely) failed to limit illegal border crossing, while claiming that the border was secure. Which prompted mocking responses like "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
Too late, the Biden administration realized the political potency of disorder at the border, the election went to Trump, and the Trump administration has delivered.
Further, as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill, funds have been appropriated to fund a dramatic increase in border agents, as well as to build more sections of the border wall.
For at least a decade, conservatives have said “we can’t do anything about immigration reform, we won’t even entertain discussions about immigration reform, until the border is secure.”
Well.
Whatever else one might think about President Trump, he does not follow his base—his base follows him, and Trump has telegraphed an openness to common sense on immigration. In his first term, Trump expressed a desire to solve the problem of the “dreamers”—children who were brought to this country illegally, and who have grown up knowing nothing but America, and consider themselves Americans.
And, only weeks ago, Trump acknowledged the harmful impact on U.S. agriculture and other industries from deporting immigrant laborers.
For someone who prides himself on his deal-making skills, what could be bigger than solving the ultimate political problem--a solution to our immigration mess? Border security was the necessary foundation, and that foundation has finally been laid.
We’ve tried to help. Our 2016 paper proposed a number of reforms, including a biometric entry and exit system, a Guest Worker Payroll Tax, converting H-1B visas to an auction system, and self-reporting with a fine that would grant legal status to those here illegally with clean criminal records. All of which assume that the border has first been secured.
It has.
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) has introduced the Dignity Act, which resembles one of IPI’s proposals. It has twenty bi-partisan sponsors. It’s not comprehensive, but it’s a good proposal.
The Knee Jerk Club has already labelled it as “amnesty.” But I’m betting President Trump thinks it’s reasonable.
The border is secure. Now, let’s fix our broken immigration system once and for all.