Step 1 Identify the Problem

What are the root causes for such massive population immigration across the southern border of the United States?
The President should appoint a special commission of prominent citizens to answer this question. The commission should be on par with The Warren Commission of the 1960’s and the other great commissions of the past. The commission should look – and really look – at the question in a non-partisan, non-ideological way.

Mexico is a large country in land area with lots of natural resources, easy access to two major oceans, and a good climate. It compares favorably with the natural assets available so other developed countries such as the UK, France, and Japan. There appears to be no natural reason why the people of Mexico should not be as prosperous and happy as the peoples of those other countries.

Instead of the pat, quickie answers offered so often, let’s get the real answers.

Step 2 Address the Problem at the Source

After the root causes have been properly identified and studied, action to solve those problems should be taken.
Countries which just export their social justice problems to the United States instead of addressing those problems themselves should be encouraged to fix their problems themselves. If they do not, then they should be held accountable. This should be done through peaceful means using soft power such as diplomacy.

Americans are not doing the poor and the oppressed of those countries any favors by just going along with massive population transfers north. The peoples of Mexico and other countries of the region should be prosperous and happy without having to face the dislocation of abandoning their homes to emigrate to the United States.

Step 3 Practical Border Controls

Countries should have some the means to control their borders. When population transfers get out of hand, sterner measures are needed. It is the sheer volume of immigration that justify walls, border patrols, and the like.

Step 4 Emigrants Should Have More Choices of Destinations

To the south of Mexico and the Central American region there is an entire continent of proud nations. While climates vary from tropical to moderate, the sheer bulk of the land area and the diversity of lands make South America a viable alternative for immigrants.

Why should the only choice for migration be north? Why not south? US diplomacy should work to open up those countries and help the immigrants to find happy and prosperous lives there.

Step 5. Connect Cross-border Crime to Illegal Immigration

Cross-border narcotics has been a huge problem for decades. Has lack of border control helped them? And who are the most oppressed victims of those international gangs? What is an illegal immigrant to do about gangs in his neighborhood? Where can he turn?

To the elites in government and the media? Apart from Donald Trumps stupid statement about illegal immigration and crime, the elites have gone to the other extreme. Their statements tend to deny that any crime problem even exists. Woe to anyone who tries to connect illegal immigration with organized crime! Racist! Traitor!

Where else can an illegal immigrant turn? The police? They might very well just deport the complainant.

The church? Catholics and other churches have been sympathetic to illegal immigrants but the problem of organized crime using the illegal immigrant community to hide in has not been their concern.

The very loud denunciations of Donald Trump’s statements for over a year seem to have closed minds to the problem of illegal immigration and organized crime. Let’s let the stupid statement of Trump and his critics cancel out and address the problem anew.

Conclusion

There is a lot to be done on this topic. Opposition to more illegal immigration does not necessarily mean opposition to the interests of illegal immigrants. Proactive steps to help them can be advocated without sacrificing border security concerns.

Back to the holiday. Further information on: Cinco de Mayo.