Bronwyn Lance

In 1996, as part of broad immigration reform legislation, Congress mandated that the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) take steps to construct and implement a computerized system for recording every entry and exit by a foreign visitor. The requirement, known as Section 110, attracted much criticism. In the following viewpoint, Bronwyn Lance argues that requiring data collection from every alien visitor would do little to prevent illegal immigration, but instead would result in long delays at border crossings, decreased trade and tourism, and economic difficulties in communities bordering Mexico and Canada. Lance is a Senior Fellow with the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution, a social policy think tank.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How many people cross the U.S.-Mexican border, according to Lance?
2. Why would entry-exit...