"Everyone turns to borders as a first line of defense." Then what?

National Review's Rich Lowry gives a rousing reminder of the importance of both the concept and reality of borders in a Politico op-ed, arguing that our nation has leaned into the essential nature of restrictionism, relying on borders for protection:

"We are all restrictionists now. In the coronavirus crisis, everyone realizes the importance of borders, even the people who not long ago were ideologically hostile toward them and tsk-tsked the allegedly primitive nationalists who obsessed over them.

...The coronavirus has acted as a solvent on a decade or more of cliches about the arrival of a globalized world where borders no longer matter. In a crisis, no one believes that, and everyone turns to borders as a first line of defense."

Ongoing events will continue to influence American consensus and our national dialogue on borders and immigration.

Fundamentally, the components of immigration policy will remain the same before, during, and after the novel coronavirus emergency. We will be presented with evergreen questions about what the purpose of immigration laws are, who is to be prioritized by those laws, and how to credibly ensure their enforcement.

The Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan is already forecasting amnesty in the wake of COVID-19:

Everyone is having thoughts about the meaning and implications of the pandemic. Here are two.

The first is that America's immigration struggle will be prompted by circumstances nearer to resolution. Public sentiment will back harder borders and a new path to citizenship for illegal immigrants living here.

Global pandemics do nothing to encourage lax borders. As to illegal immigrants, you have seen who's delivering the food, stocking the shelves, running the hospital ward, holding your hand when you're on the ventilator. It is the newest Americans, immigrants, and some are here illegally.

They worked through an epidemic and kept America going. Some in the immigration debate have argued, "They have to demonstrate they deserve citizenship"-they need to pay punitive fines, jump through hoops. "They need to earn it."

Ladies and gentlemen, look around. They did.

Here is where the debate is going. When it's over, if you can show in any way you worked through the great pandemic of '20, you will be given American citizenship. With a note printed on top: "With thanks from a grateful nation."

Harder borders and compassionate resolution is what this column has asked for, for almost 20 years.

(some comments provided a robust willingness to push back on this idea)

In a twist of irony, Noonan has long decried the myopia of "the protected" (elites) when it comes to immigration:

Many Americans suffered from illegal immigration-its impact on labor markets, financial costs, crime, the sense that the rule of law was collapsing. But the protected did fine-more workers at lower wages. No effect of illegal immigration was likely to hurt them personally.

With 10 million unemployment claims in the last few weeks, and predictions of unemployment that range as high as 30%, is it possible that Noonan has already forgotten about the American workers who will be most affected?

Thank you for all that you do.