Supercharging ICE Threatens to Be a Costly Mistake

Thanks to the recently enacted tax-and-spending bill, US immigration agencies are about to be flooded with new cash and personnel. Effectively controlling the border is essential. The problem is that America’s immigration woes are not primarily due to insufficient resources — and without necessary reforms, this latest influx could well cause more harm than good.

Last year, Republicans reclaimed power partly due to a wave of support for mass deportations after the largest surge of unauthorized immigration in the country’s history. Since then, the tide has largely ebbed. Arrests at the southern border plummeted to about 6,000 in June — the lowest in decades — from more than 47,000 in December. That’s progress.