More Fred on immigration

Here is a link to a transcript of Mark Levin interviewing Fred Thompson. The subject of illegal immigration and the legislation working its way through the Senate came up. Here is a quote from Thompson:

You know, I've pointed out that I don't think that we have to have a choice between amnesty on the one hand, and trying to arrest everybody and put them on buses. Practically, that's not going to happen. But you don't have to choose between those if you can have attrition through enforcement, if we enforce the law with regard to employers - and we have an eligibility verification system out there that's voluntary; it should be mandatory - if we made arrests, if we reduced the inducements that especially some of these states give - some of which is against federal law incidentally, and some of that is not being enforced - if we talked a little straighter to Mexico - and the fact that their national policy is dependent upon the exportation of their own citizens - for their own economic benefit, sending money back and so forth - there are plenty of things that we could do, I think, to take care of this problem. If we could do it, but part of it has to do though with the states that are doing these things.

As you can see Fred's view closely tracks with my own. It is not practical or necessary to cattle prod every illegal onto a bus and ship them back to Mexico. If the border is secured and the laws against hiring illegals are enforced illegals will begin to self-deport.

Add to that detaining and deporting every illegal who crosses path with law enforcement and every year you have fewer illegals - even though no border security plan can be perfect and some small number will still get through.