Duncan Hunter, the man who convinced the administration to finish the Mexican border fence from Otay Mesa to the Pacific Ocean, has gotten under some folks' skin of late.

It seems the Republican congressman from El Cajon thinks a security fence that runs 14 miles of a 2,000-mile border leaves a lot to be desired and now he wants the feds to do the obvious —— complete the darn thing to the Gulf of Mexico.

Of course, there are those who think the idea of keeping out illegal immigrants is barbaric —— namely Democrats and those self-righteous, fuzzy-brained people who cloak themselves with the mantle of "human-rights activist."

Hooey.

And just for good measure, conservationists object because it will disturb the flora and fauna of the border. That is funny, considering that disturbing nature is not a problem when you're building a 114-mile hiking trail from the ocean in Del Mar to the Salton Sea through national forest land and building tunnels under highways so the tree-huggers won't get run down by an illegal driving without a license or insurance.

Objections range from the inhumanity of keeping these public-funds-sucking people out of the country, to insisting it won't work, to doomsday concern over the economy should this source of cheap labor be eliminated.

You know what? We can deal with this.

First, they come here because Mexico can't, or won't, do anything about economic conditions as they relate to them. Making them stay home will force Mexico to make changes or deal with millions of really unhappy citizens.

The fence won't work? It's a darn good start, but it's not the whole answer. We need to add to the formula state border police as proposed by Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Murrieta, and patrols by the military, its reserves and the National Guard.

If we can muster 22,000 military personnel and 50,000 National Guardsmen to help Hurricane Katrina victims, why can't we send them to the border on anti-terror training exercises?

Ah, but the effect on our economy would be devastating if we keep out cheap labor. First, if someone works they ought to be paid a legal wage —— which takes away the competitive advantage enjoyed by companies ignoring the law —— and, second, who says that you can't have a guest-worker program where needed for folks who come here legally?

But beyond the fence, state border police and military patrols, we need three enforcement components.

For companies that employ illegals, fine them and fine them big. Make it hurt so much it'll be cheaper to hire legal workers.

For the illegals who continue to come, boot 'em quick and bus them to the border. From there, they're on their own. Gonna do it again? Lock them up and send the family back.

And, those folks who champion the idiocy of this unchecked illegal immigration, if they aid and abet illegals, lock 'em up, too.

Tough measures? Maybe so, but illegals are overrunning this country from California to Ohio to Virginia, this is no time for weak solutions and whining.

Phil Strickland of Temecula is a regular columnist for The Californian. E-mail: philipestrickland@yahoo.com.