The Great Immigration Reform Shim-Sham

Senator Dean Heller voted to add a $38 billion border security measure to the immigration reform bill, clearing the way for easier passage of the legislation. The amendment doubles the number of Border Patrol agents, adds 350 more miles of fence, invest in drones, radar and other surveillance equipment to help detect illegal border crossings.

Heller still isn’t saying how he’ll vote on the overall bill. Perhaps it’s because of a provision in the bill allowing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to not build the fence at all.

“Notwithstanding paragraph (1), nothing in this subsection shall require the Secretary to install fencing, or infrastructure that directly results from the installation of such fencing, in a particular location along the Southern border, if the Secretary determines that the use or placement of such resources is not the most appropriate means to achieve and maintain effective control over the Southern border at such location.”

Illegal aliens would also be granted legalized Registered Provisional Immigration status once Napolitano submits a fencing plan to Congress, though she an choose not to put the fencing plan into effect. It’s 1986 all over again.

But hey — at least Heller got Nevada a seat on the Southern Border Security Commission, despite the fact that the state doesn’t share a border with Mexico.