GOD this is so frustrating. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Fix the borders? We have over 88,000 miles of shoreline if you include islands. We have some of the largest borders in the world. We have the largest shipping fleet in the world. We have more continental flights than any country in the world. Everyone says close the borders -- fix the border problem. How? Has anyone thought beyond that statement?
My intent was to differentiate between the flow of illegals across the border on the one hand, and the people that are already here. Each has it's separate, legal, social and other aspects that have to be addressed. Your frustration caused you to miss that point.
Complete control of the borders will likely require a major expansion of government (military, Coast Guard, INS, Homeland Security, etc., etc.) and large tax increases to pay for it, even if done in phases, (e.g., the southern border as a first phase....).
A need to guard the borders more tightly than we are right now isn't necessary in order to stem the flow of illegal immigration. Cut off ALL taxpayer funded services to illegal aliens (welfare, food stamps, WIC, non-emergency medical care, etc) and at the same time crack down hard on companies that hire illegal aliens. Then, with no food, no money, and no jobs, the illegal aliens can choose to either stay here and starve or go back to their home countries and ask their governments for help.