A Green Beret's Solution To Protecting The Southern Border

I've had the answer to the question of how to fix the Southern Border for a long time. The answer is simple, effective and very cheap. It is a multi-part plan which would not only take care of the current invasion going on by dealing with the illegal aliens already in the U.S., but would reduce the incentive they currently have to come here illegally, and encourage legal immigration.

Part 1: National Guard

Send the National Guard and select active-duty troops to reinforce the border patrol. Special Forces teams can conduct SR and LRS units to conduct LP/OP's and surveillance on known border crossings, high-threat areas and very remote rugged terrain, with armed National Guard/BP units to act as QRF and to arrest or detain anyone who is spotted. (Something similar to this has been done before - see JTF-6.) These units will be supplemented with Infantry units, to include mortar teams, to provide security and fire support for units working on the border.

National Guard and active-duty engineer units can work on temporary obstacles (berms, triple strand concertina, tangle foot) starting in main LOCs line of communications (LOC). [JP 1-02] (DoD) A route, either land, water, and/or air, which connects an operating military force with a base of operattions and along which supplies and military forces move.

I use LOC because this really is an invasion of the United States, and the illegal aliens are to be considered a hostile military force, and, due to that fact, the ROEs for these units working on the border will be changed to allow shooting back at any element that threatens U.S. forces or citizens. They would be allowed to return fire, even if the hostile element is firing from the Mexico side of the border. Any incursion by Mexican forces will be considered hostile and an act of war, and will be met with all available firepower at the unit's disposal.

At the same time that this deployment is happening, temporary camps will be set up to house all illegals who are captured. These camps are temporary holding locations to process and await deportation only, and they will consist of military tents and cots surrounded by concertina. Basic medical care will be provided, and MREs and water will be given. The camps will be set up near a railroad hub to facilitate the deportation.

Each adult male will be required to work on the fortifications while at these camps. The goal would be that they are only at the camps for a couple days, so getting them to help would offset some of the cost and manpower needed for this operation.

Side Note: On my first trip to Kosovo, the Marines were in charge of our city for the first month or two. There was a mandatory curfew because there were still attacks being conducted against the local Serbians by the Albanian majority. When the Marines detained someone after curfew, they would have to spend the rest of the night picking up trash along the sidewalks and streets. They were released the next morning, when curfew was over. Not only did it help to keep the place clean, it was an effective deterrent and not many were detained more than once.

Part 2: Round-Up

A massive round-up would begin and every illegal that was caught or already in custody would be immediately sent to these temporary camps to begin the process. Any illegal that popped up on the radar would have to be reported to the authorities upon risk of severe fines, penalties or legal action. This would include mandatory reporting by any medical facility, law enforcement, government subsidies office and even educational organization (if a child being enrolled in school cannot prove citizenship the parents and child would be deported). The goal is to remove any benefits that encourage illegal immigration and make it difficult for those already here to stay.

Note: Throughout this entire process, all basic human rights will be enforced and the safety of all detained illegals will be protected. They will be protected, but realize that these are not the same rights that American citizens are granted.

Part 3: Deportation

When the illegals are deported, they are moved from camps via railroad to old troop cargo ships that will take them, not to the border, but rather back to their country of origin. If they are from Mexico they will be released in the southern part of Mexico. Ships coming from the western side would drop them near the Guatemalan border, and those coming from the east would be dropped near the border with Belize. Doing this will make it much more difficult for them to make their way back to the U.S./Mexico border.

Part 4: Immigration Laws

This will require political support. Take away the law guaranteeing U.S. citizenship to children born here if their parents are not citizens (also known as anchor babies). If there are families who both parents are here illegally but due to the current laws they have children who are citizens, the parents will be deported and they make the choice on whether the children come with them or stay. If the children stay, they need to have a resident who will be the legal guardian for the kids.

Part 5: Improve Immigration Process

I understand that America is a country of immigrants, and that’s what I love about it. And I think it is criminal that it is so difficult for people, who want to do it the right way, to become legal citizens. So at the same time we are making it difficult for those in this country illegally, we make it easier to come here legally and become a citizen.

Requirements “To become a U.S. citizen, a legal permanent resident must be at least 18; have lived in the United States continuously for five years; be able to speak, read, write and understand basic English; pass a background check; demonstrate knowledge of U.S. government and history, and swear allegiance to the United States.”

Parents who have legal children residing in the U.S. will be added to list of people who have been waiting in line, in order to come to this country the right way. This list will be expedited, and streamlined in order to encourage legal immigration. If it’s easier to do it the right way, and all the incentives to do it illegally are gone, this whole process will fix itself.

While all this is going on an assessment will be done, and areas of the border will be prioritized to begin working on securing the border more permanently, using technology, example 2, and fixed barriers to prevent any form of criminal or terrorist entities from accessing the U.S. Refer to articles covering previous successes on the Saudi Arabia/Iraq border, and the West Bank Security fence.

I have had these ideas in my head for a while, but I don’t realistically think anyone in any position of responsibility will have the intestinal fortitude to actually take the steps necessary to protect the United States in this manner. I came across an article today showing that not only would many of these steps work, but more importantly, they have worked.

In 1954, President Eisenhower appointed retired Gen. Joseph "Jumpin' Joe" Swing, a former West Point classmate and veteran of the 101st Airborne, as the new INS commissioner. At the time, they were experiencing many of the same problems that we are having today.

Then on June 17, 1954, the operation began: 

“Because political resistance was lower in California and Arizona, the roundup of aliens began there. Some 750 agents swept northward through agricultural areas with a goal of 1,000 apprehensions a day. By the end of July, over 50,000 aliens were caught in the two states. Another 488,000, fearing arrest, had fled the country.

By mid-July, the crackdown extended northward into Utah, Nevada, and Idaho, and eastward to Texas.

By September, 80,000 had been taken into custody in Texas, and an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 illegals had left the Lone Star State voluntarily.
Unlike today, Mexicans caught in the roundup were not simply released at the border, where they could easily reenter the US. To discourage their return, Swing arranged for buses and trains to take many aliens deep within Mexico before being set free.

Tens of thousands more were put aboard two hired ships, the Emancipation and the Mercurio. The ships ferried the aliens from Port Isabel, Texas, to Vera Cruz, Mexico, more than 500 miles south.

The sea voyage was "a rough trip, and they did not like it," says Don Coppock, who worked his way up from Border Patrolman in 1941 to eventually head the Border Patrol from 1960 to 1973.”

From How Eisenhower solved illegal border crossings from Mexico

It has been successfully done in the past, and could be done again. Will it? Not likely, with who is in charge now, but if they do I recommend changing the name of the operation from the one Eisenhower chose.