America, Land of Opportunity and Vigilante INS Agents

This article is a really great summary of US immigration policy and reality, particularly of the Mexican persuasion. Points of parcticular interest:

• As mentioned in his most recent State of the Union, Bush is sympathetic to the predicament of illegals (or maybe just their employers) and has voiced a desire to grant legal status to 7 million of them currently in the country. However he faces opposition from conservative media and Republicans who voted for a National ID to make things more difficult for illegals who manage to get a mere driver's license.
• The immigration system is just broken as the yearly cap of 675,000 new visas for permanent residents effectively serves as a floor under current rules.
• The libertarian argument for open borders actually might make sense to an extent. If the barriers to entering the US are kept low, immigration from Mexico may actually become more circular a la Puerto Rico in the 80s.

Best quote: "But there is precious little evidence that Joe White, whatever the pay, is willing to toil alongside José Blanco picking fruit in California." Don't forget all the benefits of membership in vigilante border patrols!