NAFTA is a pact that makes the border invisible for the flow of trade, primarily enabling US Corporations to locate their manufacturing facilities in Mexico to take advantage of cheap labor and low environmental standards. Recently, Republican Congressional members pushed through a bill to minimize inspection of commercial vehicles between the two countries. The reason was to eliminate a bottleneck in the flow of those manufactured goods. NAFTA obviously has primary benefits for two separate entities : American Corporations, and Mexican employees and employers. Part of NAFTA's appeal was the hope that, by providing additional jobs and income in Mexico, it would slow the pace of illegal immigration. This it has not accomplished, and the influx has continued unabated.

This immigration benefits domestic business in the US, because of the low wage demand made by the workers, and because most employers do not report or tax the earnings, nor do they pay health, etc benefits. I have heard much about the cost to taxpayers of health, education, and welfare services for illegal immigrants and their families, but I have no specifics on that issue, and would appreciate some hard information.

The right of any sovereign nation to guard and maintain a border is without question, and suggestions that we provide supplies to aid illegals in crossing the desert is completely daft. The questions regarding the actual impact of illegal immigration and the intent and success of NAFTA are legitimate and important.