“Why don’t we just let the US fence itself in and let it slowly degrade in isolation.  Canada could then join the EU trading bloc or “gasp” maybe the south Asian bloc!  Then nobodies a world policing super power!”

As an American, sounds good to me! Now…fuck off!

Enforcing the Canadian border!  Do you know that vastness of the landscape here.  If I wanted, I could cross into the good ol’ USA with the only border patrol being a foraging squirrel.  Too much of Canada is just wilderness, with most of the population situated in southern ontario.  I’ve seen the arab community in Canada and it gets along just fine with everyone.  The only thing bloody radical in Canada is the Beavers!  These little buggers have stowed away on cargo vessels and have been transported to places such as Argentina, where they distroy farmers fields and timber belts.  Sure maybe a terrorist could get to the states but they would head through the obvious routes were border stations are already.  Besides, an Arab terrorist wouldn’t get far in the rural anyway, sticking out like a sore thumb.

Why don’t we just let the US fence itself in and let it slowly degrade in isolation.  Canada could then join the EU trading bloc or “gasp” maybe the south Asian bloc!  Then nobodies a world policing super power!

Dave you Moron!
Actually I almost agree with your “two cent solotion”. However your thoughts on Canada are flawed.
We have never found terrorists trying to sneak into our country from Mexico. We have found on many occasions terrorists attempting to sneak in from Canada. Canada has a very large Arab community, Mexico has a very small Arab community.
In the northern states rural roads run for miles right next to similar Canadian roads, sometimes these roads are seperated only by 10-15 feet of dirt and a single strand of barbed wire. Were you an Arab terrorist which would you prefer, 10 feet of mud or 200 miles of desert?
Experts generally agree that in Los Angels alone as there are as many as a half million Illegal Canadians. And they are not washing dishes or cutting lawns, they have the jobs that we want for ourselves or for our children.
If terrorism is our main concern then it is the Canadian border we need to worry about. And besides, 40% of all illegal aliens it is estimated arrived by commercial airplane and simply overstayed their visa as did all those involved with 9/11.

Um, I believe I heard on NPR today that 80% or so of illegal immigration is from Mexico and Latin America.  I suspect there is very, very little illegal immigration from Canada.

(It’s worth noting, as an aside, that Canada has much more stringent immigration laws than the US.)

There’s probably some basis for there being at least some racist (or xenophobic) component to the illegal immigration issue, or about immigration as a whole.  Immigrants from any number of areas of the world have suffered discrimination and unwelcoming attitudes, including Italians and Irish (my own heritages).

That said, whether there is a racist component or not, there is a significant legal component, in that massive violation of the law has a negative effect on society.  Either the law needs to be fixed, or better enforced, or both.

I have a professor that believes the illegal immigration issue is entirely race oriented.  His “evidence” is that no one complains about illegal immigrants from Canada.  Of course he failed to mention what the statistics are regarding illegal immigration from Canada but made it seem that it was comparable to illegal immigration from Cuba or Mexico.  I was curious if anyone knows any facts (with sources) about the situation regarding illegal immigration and Canada versus the other countries.