US Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) revealed that over 650,000 migrants with criminal histories were let loose in the United States between 'mid-May 2023 through the end of July 2024.'

I used Aaron's own idiot numbers, and your vote won't count at all--becaause Tay-ucks-ass is gonna go for the Turd no matter what. You might as well stay home and jack off to Fox Nooze.

Your vote will mean NOTHING. MAGOO 2024!

         It will cancel your vote. 

???

I didnt get my information from CNN or ABC.   I just stated whats in the bill.   I've yet to hear anyone from the other side of the aisle (including you) what part of that bill would makes things worse as oppossed to better.

Your bullshit is the same as Trump's and every other crybaby on the right.     You all say its horrible but you cant say how.   Because you cant.   Its really that simple.

Uh-huh. And what's the annual and cumulative costs associated with the current border situation? Does the CBO (or you) have an all-inclusive estimate for that? What's the costs for all of it? You'd have to amortize some of those costs, wouldn't ya?  Like for the next 50 years or so?

And why can't we assume that a strengthening of the southern border ( more secure border) would make cross-border commerce better?; the infrastructure would certainly be enhanced. Your comparative analysis of that specific aspect  just doesn't make sense to me. No way our respective definitions for a "truly secure border" would ever be remotely similar, though; but that's OK.

Here's the thing, Nines.    You can say the bill proposed in Congress that Republicans blocked doesnt go far enough.  And there is an intelligent debate to be had there.    What you cant do is complain about the status-quo while simultaneously supporting to block  a bill that improves it.

Republicans chose the current situation over one that was better in terms of more border agents, more deportation hearings, more contraband checking.       Thats not my opinion or spin.  That is officially a matter of record.   And as long as its a matter of record people on the right lose their license to complain about border given their obstruction to making it better..

My argument is indeed that it didn't go far enough nor would it  result in a more secure border. One can't suggest that some components for an impactful piece of border legislation weren't included.. but the total import and final outcome would be lacking, imo. Five thousand encounters a day before action at the border isn't a curb/ deterrent. The entire congressional (all members) inaction on this border situation is well.. it sucks.

And somebody please..what does the current border situation cost us taxpayers?

Well thats interesting.   I'm truly curious as to what metrics you define as making the border more secure.

because you've just stated that adding more border patrol agents s not a part of that....nor is checking more vehicles for contraband at the border.

Sooo.......what components do you want to see?

I'll chime in and reference my post to Aaron, I'm sure he won't comment on it. Why haven't the pre-MAGA Republicans or MAGA, done anything on border reform when they had the chance? That's where the constant complaining shows that they really don't want to solve it. An all or nothing demand will never fly, see HB2 as proof. Biden's border non-policy was horrible, MAGA could have prevented it all.

By the way, I think a border wall is a 1950's solution in 2020, no matter who proposes it.

Costs compared to what? Surely you understand--though maybe you don't?--that costs are only one side of the equation--it's always a cost/benefit situation. What would the cost be of fortifying the border and making it look like the Iron Curtain? There would be two aspects of that: one, the simple cost of performing that task: big beautiful walls, massive increase in border personnel, the cost of surveillance, machine gun nests, guard towers, minefields, killer drones, etc.; two, the damage to our economy, which would be absolutely fucking massive. All because some of us hate brown people.

You're living in a dream world if you think that your "more secure" border wouldn't be a bottleneck. And infrastructure improvements--really??? Do you honestly think that if MAGAs were in charge, they would do anything to make crossing the border EASIER?

I did look up for your perusal some estimates of what closing the border would cost. The recent (since 2003) expenditures for US-Mexico border security have averaged about $8 billion annually; one would assume that squeezing it much tighter would cost much more. For example, a CBO estimate of the cost of the completed Trump wall is $26 billion to complete it and an annual maintenance/patrolling cost of about $20 billion. Cross-border trade was $855 billion in 2023. How much do you think closing the border would affect that? How much would fortifying and squeezing it tight cost?

More advanced nations in the European Union have made the determination that the benefits of having open borders outweigh the costs. And conversely, the benefits of barbed wire and armed guards manning checkpoints are outweighed by the costs. "Security" is a chimera in today's world, unless you want to create a heavily fortified police state. (And guess what, children--Russia has terrorist incidents anyway.)

Of course, all of the above common sense is "Trumped" by race hatred, so as long as we have MAGAs spouting "replacement theory" and fantasizing aloud about shooting brown people, we'll never be able to consider this issue rationally.

My vote will count. So will yours. Are you against that? You DO sound like a Trump disciple!