Having just spent a couple of weeks in Mexico the amount of paranoia and ignorance that their northern border mates tend to exhibit towards them is just completely ridiculous.
I spent 4 months driving South through Mexico and had a fantastic time. I know of at least 50 people that have done the same thing in recent years and they all had the same experience.
Mexico is nothing like the American media portrays it to be. Hell, most of the world is nothing like the American media portrays it to be.
The North American countries should loosen borders, not tighten them, paving an open road to unification. Building a border barrier feels like erecting another Berlin Wall.
Last I checked, we all live on the same planet, and are all tied to its fate for the foreseeable future.
The original signatories to the Schengen Agreement were some of the most nationalistic countries on the planet, and still are, 29 years later.
2. It only feels like the Berlin Wall if you ignore the fact that the Berlin Wall was built to prevent emigration and defection.
3. You and I live on the same planet; mind if I enter and leave your home without restriction? Mind if everyone else is free to, also?
I agree with what you're saying in principal, but the application of ideals is where things become far more complex.
Also, it's worth reflecting on the fact that the federal republic of the United States has totally open borders between its 50 states, which is too often taken for granted, and basically provided the model the EU is struggling to imitate.
If you are a French national and want to come work in Italy: no problem, you are treated exactly like an Italian (except for maybe a couple of national security jobs). If you are Romanian you still have to get a work permit.
This led to a lot of polemic and propaganda here in Germany, especially from the right-wing.
After a country joins the EU, its citizens gain full freedom of movement after 7 years maximum. Countries can impose a 2-year transitional period, followed by a 3-year extension, and another 2-year extension, with escalating requirements for what claims need to be made to justify an extension.
For example here in Denmark there was only a 2-year transitional period, so Romanians and Bulgarians are free to work here without a permit since 1/1/2009. But a few EU countries, such as Germany and the UK, exercised an extraordinary right to delay implementation for a full 7 years, by asserting "serious labor-market disruption". Italy was in between, applying the 2+3 but not the full 2+3+2 transitional period, so Romanians/Bulgarians may work there without a permit since 1/1/2012. Since 1/1/2014 all transitional periods for Romania and Bulgaria have expired (a transitional period for Croatia is still in effect in some countries).
However I was imprecise on the terminology: Romania and Bulgaria are actually not in Schengen yet, so EU states may impose border checks. What they are part of is the free-movement-of-labor zone, which is not quite identical to Schengen.
And it's far more complex than that. Germany faces severe demographic trends that have caused a labor shortage, and also has an economy that's highly dependent on manufacturing exports. Having an open door policy at that point makes an awful lot of sense.
The US is headed towards a similar situation, but will have a better labor pool in Mexico, and–Internet wisdom notwithstanding–the US is much better at integrating immigrant labor than Europe is.
I know I'm oversimplifying, but I think it's abhorrent that strict immigration policies go hand in hand with free trade. If you allow goods to move freely you have to allow the workforce to move as well.
For example, some want to live in the middle ages and kill everyone who doesn't.
US-Mexico border is an easier border: remove war on drugs and half its reason is gone.
Btw, the Berlin Wall was built to keep people in, not keep them out. Understand the difference?