It didn't matter how many experts argued that the Border Patrol was institutionally incapable of training, equipping, or supervising so much additional staff in so short a time. Under political circumstances such as those created by the immigration backlash, the grandeur of a proposal can be more important than its consequences. Few areas of national policy lend themselves to grand gestures, and immigration, legal or illegal, is no exception. The problem with grand gestures, aside from the fact that they rarely accomplish their aims, is that they produce a plethora of unintended consequences. Despite the conventional view of immigration as a discrete issue, it is firmly linked to several other important policy areas.
Immigration policy involves law enforcement, economic regulation, and foreign policy.
Because of this, sweeping plans aimed at resolving immigration problems can have huge repercussions in the areas of civil liberties, living standards, and international relations. The temptation is to move quickly and decisively, but immigration is precisely the kind of policy area that requires gradual, consistent, and incremental action. Even when deciding seemingly isolated questions, such as family preference visa numbers, it is essential to search out their broader implications. This is most apparent when it comes to plans to combat illegal immigration.