Senate Amendment Will Make US-Mexico Border “Most Militarized Since Berlin Wall”

Yesterday the Senate approved a Republican border security amendment that virtually guarantees that the comprehensive immigration reform bill will pass the U.S. Senate, probably by the end of this week. The amendment authored by Bob Corker (R-TN) and John Hoeven (R-ND) will spend $30 billion dollars to increase security on the US – Mexico border. One of the amendments own sponsors even called the amendment “overkill.” Senator John McCain (R-AZ) said today that, “We’ll be the most militarized border since the fall of the Berlin Wall.” I’m not sure many Americans want that kind of association, especially in light of the recent NSA surveillance disclosures. Like most immigration advocates, I support comprehensive immigration reform. It’s a shame, however, that rational policy making can only be secured by wasteful measures that beg comparisons to communist East Germany.