Here is the self-financing, self-reinforcing solution that everyone will like (except the illegal immigrants).
We are constantly horrified at Congress. It is chronically unable to come up with policy that works – always grafting Frankenstein monsters out of dead things.
Illegal Immigration is yet another example. My compliments go to Senator John McCain for stating the obvious — by resorting to four-letter derogatory salutes — in hopes of scaring everyone into liking Congress’s latest biolegislative bastard.
The answer is so simple. Illegal Immigration is a market. Turn the market on its head – take the profit out of it — and everything will take care of itself. The answer is so simple that even a child can understand it. Perhaps we should send more children to Washington.
Here is the self-financing, self-reinforcing solution that everyone will like (except the illegal immigrants).
1. Those who are found guilty of illegal immigration will be sentenced to at least five years imprisonment and hard labor.
2. Those imprisoned will form a state-sponsored labor pool, wherein any company needing cheap labor can apply. Salaries will be paid to the state at about $4 per hour. This will cover costs of interdiction and incarceration. Labor costs will become even lower for companies — who will no longer want to hire illegal immigrants.
3. Security: work areas will be guarded, and workers tagged with non-removable GPS units so they can be tracked down if they run. Each escape attempt will add another five years to the sentence.
4. For any company that still hires illegal immigrants: the owners would be subject to the same penalties as illegal immigrants.
5. Upon release, illegal immigrants will be returned to their country of origin.
If enacted, we will see a flood of illegal immigrants leaving the country and lining up to apply for legal citizenship the minute they get home. Illegals who do not leave will find themselves working for five years for free. We can expedite processing of the good ones, and filter out the criminals Mexico is intentionally exporting to America.
Instead of 1,000 pages of nonsense that cannot possibly work being enacted, may I suggest we just introduce this article in Congress and enact it.
This is actually a good idea, however chances of enactment, and more importantly enforcement are somewhat less than zero.
On illegal Immigration: “Discard This!”
Bringing millions of illegal immigrants to court to be prosecuted is not possible. Selective prosecution of a manageable number of illegals would be a violation of the “equal protection under the law” principle. If we prosecute one, we must also diligently try to prosecute all for the same offense.
Using incarcerated prisoners as a source of forced labor is in the category of slavery. Forced labor has always been reserved for the most incorrigible and heinous criminals and even that is subject to challenges. Your proposal for a state sponsored labor pool for the crime of crossing a border without documentation would never pass a challenge in the courts.
Returning the illegal immigrants to their country of origin is difficult and complex. Each illegal may have multiple names, multiple identities, family ties, dependent minors and may not even reveal his or her actual country of origin. Treaty obligations with the many countries involved may delay or even preclude deportation.
The suggestion of prosecuting employers might have a chance. The number of violators is manageable. Proving that the employer knew he was employing an illegal would be difficult, however.
If this problem was easily solved it would have gone away many years ago. All of the simple solutions such as yours have been seriously considered and discarded long ago.
I am Mexican.
Part of my family lives in USA, part of my family is in Mexico.
One of my uncles fought in the Second World War. Two other were stationed ready to go abroad when the war ended. A cousin of mine went to VietNam. One of my nephews has been to Iraq (not only once but twice). Other nephew is presently in Afghanistan. Both of my nephews are with the Marine Corps. The parents of all these American soldiers came here first without proper documentation, with the exception of one, thus illegally. Even one of these Marines was born in Mexico.
Some of these soldiers are from parents that were once illegals. They have even joined the military and died in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have a neighbor who criticizes jews and I am almost sure that I am a target behind my back. He did not joined the army in the WWII and he has a big mouth like many others. After September 11, I wrote to the army to become part of the fight against international terrorism. My petition was declined because I am not that young. Those so called illegals and foreign immigrants from Mexico and other lands have been fighting for this country.
Why do you hate us so much, why do you want to harm us? We are not terrorists.? Do you believe in God? Do you have a religion?
The New Testament begins with a migration story, of Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem from Nazareth for the birth of Jesus in an agricultural outpost.
Later, facing religious persecution, his family would flee to Egypt.
Jesus was not only the child of migrants, but, Christians believe, he came from another realm to rescue humanity — an “alien”
Why are you claiming the rule of law against people that came here to work? Work that many of you don’t want to perform.
“Rule of law” means enforcing laws that are capable of enforcement, otherwise people merely learn disrespect for the law. Obviously, immigration laws that refuse to recognize the inevitable attraction of a lack of unskilled labor on one side of the border and a lack of employment for unskilled labor on the other is not workable no matter how much of the taxpayers’ billions get poured down a rathole of “enhanced enforcement
Did you know that President carter gave pardon for those that did not join the war in Vietnam? Many went to Canada, and others flew to Mexico.
You sure know that President Ford Gave full pardon to Nixon because of the Watergate scandal.
And according to what it is known, Nixon violated blatantly the law in many issues and in a great scale. This does not mean that therefore, others must violate the law. But what I am saying is that in the history of this great country there are some examples of amnesty or whatever you want to call it.
But you are in uproar claiming this very same rule of law.
What does it prove to the valuable and strained military resources to round up all the indocumentados if radical Muslims manage to pull off another 9-11 or worse?. Let me remind you that some of the terrorists and all failed attempts came through Canada never through Mexico. Let’s concentrate in chasing our real enemies. Not us.
Let me also point out that our countries in north and South America belong to the only continent in the world, besides Europe, with common origins in religion and cultural heritage. No other continent in the world has such homogeneity. Our countries are not in war against neighboring countries. There are no conflicts because of religious differences. But, one thing is sure, we are not your enemies, we are not terrorists. As a matter of fact, down the road, we are your only potential allies against international terrorism.
I do not understand why you cannot see who our common enemy is, nor why you would have us waste time and effort chasing down immigrant workers, instead of chasing terrorists, such as the Fundamental/ radical Islam followers that hate the West, us included.
Please do not forget what happened with Hitler and Jews in Europe.
Not so long ago, the biggest dictator on earth came to power driven by anger and hate.
Everything started little by little in Germany. Jews started to be blamed for everything. Just take a look to some of the movies made by Hitler about Jews. In these films, they are depicted as criminals, thieves, a disgrace to Germany, they are filthy, they bring diseases, they are greedy, they should be removed, they should be deported, etc.
Your arguments sound familiar. Similar to the attacks made to Jews that escalated until deport them to concentration camps and exterminate a great deal of innocent people. All based in hate. Hate against other race. Hate against other people.
America had to go and rescue Europe from Hitler and his fanatics. Maybe some of your relatives fought abroad. Maybe some or many died in this fight against hate.
The hate against Jews made Hitler to climb to his actual position. As a result of his ascent and silence and approval of the German population, the killings and destruction were countless. This is also what the Ku Klux Klan tried to do against African Americans in USA, luckily without success. The white supremacists, Nazis, and the KKK are closely related.
Believing in and forming opinions based on anecdotal evidence or not understanding the socio-economic qualities of a problem is ignorance, not racism. Hating someone for the color of their skin or some other the reason the object of the racism has no control of is racism. Put them together and you get what many of you feel but won’t admit
Perhaps unknowingly or unwittingly you are helping them.
Don’t make the mistake that Germans made with Hitler.
Walls have never worked in history. The Chinese wall, the Berlin wall, the Maginot Line, a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, machine gun posts and other defences which France constructed along its borders with Germany. The term is sometimes used today to describe any comically ineffective protection. In the long run, all have proven his futility and uselessness.
We could have a decent and rational discussion to secure the border. We could work together to stop illicit activities. We could find common solutions to common problems. We could do many things together, similar to Europe with different countries and many more languages involved.
But in this way, by hating us, by denigrating us, and trying to harm us, you are shutting the door to any rationality in this discussion.
I am begging you: Don’t close this door.
God bless America as a country and as a continent!!!
“We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people — our strength — from every country and every corner of the world… Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we’re a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier.”
- Ronald Reagan