The funding bill President Trump signed that avoided a second partial government shutdown is a terrible piece of legislation.   Republicans have to take at least as much of the blame as the Democrats for this latest affront to the American people.  At more than a thousand pages, it is likely that many congressmen who voted on it have not read it.  However, we can assume they know that it contains little money for a wall, fence, or barrier to slow drugs and human-trafficking. 

Perhaps even more important than the bill's failure to address the wall is an equally serious problem neither Republican nor Democrat politicians even talk about: an enforceable E-Verify program that would require employers to check a job applicant's legal right to work in the United States.  A mandatory E-Verify program with real penalties would be a practical and commonsense way to discourage continued illegal immigration.

Too many Republicans continue to insist on cheap labor, and Democrats continue to covet likely Democrat voters.  This dynamic leaves few in the establishment who really want to fix the nation's illegal alien problem.  I believe that President Trump really wants to fix the problem, but unfortunately, declaring a national emergency will once again land the administration in federal court, where a judge, at least temporarily, will halt the executive branch's efforts.