Some inspiration for the defenders of America's borders

Malaysia, much like the USA, has historically suffered from the terrible disease of illegal immigration. Unlike the Americans, though, the Malaysians actually had the resolve to do something about it. They decided to act just last year. Let's review how that went.

March 1, 2005:

Malaysia begins migrant round-up

Malaysia has begun rounding up and arresting illegal migrants following the end of a four-month amnesty. Those arrested could face heavy fines, jail sentences and whipping.

That's showing those migrants! Of course, a bold move like this was bound to be resisted at first.

March 2, 2005:

Illegal workers hide in Malaysia

Thousands of foreign workers may have gone into hiding in Malaysia to avoid a crackdown on illegal migrants, immigration officials have said.

Oh, sure, some tried to hide. For all the good that did them.

International media coverage of the cleansing of Malaysia died down for a while after this, so one can only assume that the location and expulsion of illegal immigrants proceeded apace.

Another difficulty or two did crop up, however.

March 24, 2005:

Malaysia reviews labour shortage

Senior Malaysian politicians are due to meet on Thursday to discuss a labour shortage brought about by recent moves to expel illegal foreign workers.

A panel is expected to discuss how to replace an estimated 500,000 migrants who left under an amnesty that allowed them to avoid various punishments.

Malaysians have been told to take the jobs themselves.

But unemployment is low except among graduates, who have shown no interest in the dirty low-paid jobs on offer.

Nothing but a hiccup, though! The plan was basically sound, and just needed a bit of an adjustment. Thus, less than three months after the fines, imprisonment, and whipping began:

May 26, 2005:

Malaysia U-turn on immigrants ban

Malaysia is to relax immigration rules to allow former illegal migrant workers to visit the country to seek work.

Having persuaded illegal migrants to leave with a threat of fines, jail and whipping, the government now desperately wants them back.

It has even set up centres in Indonesia, where most of the workers came from, to speed their return as legal employees.

...Malaysia will now allow the Indonesians to enter the country on tourist visas, without the promise of employment, to seek work once they arrive.

It is an embarrassing U-turn from a government that wanted to make political capital from its tough stance on illegal immigration - and a sign of just how badly Malaysia's labour shortage is biting.

OK, so the hardline stance didn't work perfectly in Malaysia. But Malaysia's situation is completely different from America's. And, in any case, any anti-illegal-immigrant legislation in the USA would benefit from superior planning, as well as lessons learned from the blindspots in the Malaysian strategy (careful planning and learning from the past being strong points of contemporary American policy). Obviously America would come up with some way to accommodate the economic damage that would inevitably result from imprisoning and deporting its illegal immigrants--by, say, NOT DOING THAT.