A Pox On Quotidian Immigration Quotas

You might think from the title of this article that I'm all

set to rant about the upcoming April 1 opening of the H-1B filing

season -- the period known in the trade as the time of Preparation

H. You might think I'm poised to critique the annual government

lottery that causes so much employer and foreign-worker hand

wringing as they fret about whether the quota will dry up in a day

or two, as it has in the recent past. If you thought so, you would

be wrong.

I write instead to decry two other quotas, one alleged and the

other well established, both involving the enforcement side of the

immigration house.

The first is described in an Associated Press report. It seems that last week the

U.S. Border Patrol mounted an investigation of allegations by

agents in the Riverside (CA) region. These Border Patrollers

complain that their January quota on apprehensions of unauthorized

immigrants had jumped to 150 per month from 100 in November and

December. A failure to meet the quota, agents allege, would result

in some form of unspecified punishment. Reminiscent of arguments

over affirmative action, the appointed government spokesperson

hinted that the incident may be just one big misunderstanding:

It's about "numerical goals," not quotas.

The second enforcement quota, dubbed Operation

Endgame and developed in stealth by the Bush

Administration, was initially intended to target foreign fugitives

from our criminal justice system who presented clear and present

dangers to national security or public safety. As the Migration Policy Institute recently

reported, however, somewhere along the way that quota-driven

strategy lost its raison d'être. Endgame's

denouement proved a mission too creepy. The agents began targeting

run-of-the-mill immigration status violators instead.

With both of these benighted quotas, the drive to "make the

numbers" seems to have blinded the quota cops from a clear

sight of their statutory mission. The quest apparently became a

daily numbers game. It should never be just about the numbers,

although they do look impressive in an ICE press release, or in an

appearance before Congress or Lou Dobbs. If foreign-born criminals

or terrorists can't be found, then pinching a visa overstayer

instead will apparently just have to do.

I sense that the jig may soon be up, however, given this recent

directive from Janet Napolitano, the new

Secretary of Homeland Security:

Fugitive Operation Teams. Please provide the

current metrics of fugitive...