Our arguments over a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border encapsulate much of what's wrong with American politics. The wall has become a much larger issue than it deserves to be, and the parties have been unable to make a deal over it that ought to be easy to make.
The debate is overwrought on both sides. It was a mistake for immigration hawks to become as fixated as they have on building a wall on the southern border. Even if it is completely successful in stopping illegal border-crossings, it won't stop people from coming here legally and then overstaying their visas.