How to end illegal immigration

[gabosaurus]

This comes directly from a (legal) Mexican immigrant. It was posted in a Spanish language e-letter. My sister translated it and send it to me. It is rather lengthy, so I will bring out the specific points.

Blaming the individual migrants for immigration problems is like blaming drug users for the narcotics problems. You have to go after the businesses who employ them.
There is a restaurant owner in Los Angeles whose strategically located parking lot is used by day laborers to look for jobs. Every morning, large trucks and vans would come by, specifically a couple of food preparation places and some landscaping businesses.
About a year ago, INS did a huge raid where they closed down several businesses that employed illegal immigrants. For a couple of weeks, the restaurant owner saw the crowd on his lot in the morning dwindle from hundreds to maybe a dozen.

Whenever you read about INS busts or see them on the news, you see the illegals carted off. The business owners get a slap on the wrist, or a small fine. You don't see them prosecuted or closed down. Because they have lawyers and connections.
Businesses that employ illegals are the newest "speakeasys". This is the new Prohibition. If you threaten to shut down the businesses and send the owners to jail, they won't be tempted to hire illegal workers.

Business owners say this will lead to higher prices. Which is true. It will also lead to more jobs for legal residents, at higher wages.
This is the question of the day -- would you be willing to pay higher prices for all consumer goods, if it would solve the problem of illegal immigration?

[Trigg]

This comes directly from a (legal) Mexican immigrant. It was posted in a Spanish language e-letter. My sister translated it and send it to me. It is rather lengthy, so I will bring out the specific points.

Blaming the individual migrants for immigration problems is like blaming drug users for the narcotics problems. You have to go after the businesses who employ them.
There is a restaurant owner in Los Angeles whose strategically located parking lot is used by day laborers to look for jobs. Every morning, large trucks and vans would come by, specifically a couple of food preparation places and some landscaping businesses.
About a year ago, INS did a huge raid where they closed down several businesses that employed illegal immigrants. For a couple of weeks, the restaurant owner saw the crowd on his lot in the morning dwindle from hundreds to maybe a dozen.

Whenever you read about INS busts or see them on the news, you see the illegals carted off. The business owners get a slap on the wrist, or a small fine. You don't see them prosecuted or closed down. Because they have lawyers and connections.
Businesses that employ illegals are the newest "speakeasys". This is the new Prohibition. If you threaten to shut down the businesses and send the owners to jail, they won't be tempted to hire illegal workers.

Business owners say this will lead to higher prices. Which is true. It will also lead to more jobs for legal residents, at higher wages.
This is the question of the day -- would you be willing to pay higher prices for all consumer goods, if it would solve the problem of illegal immigration?

I completely agree with the business owners being heavily fined. I believe there are states who are threatening to take away the business lisences of repeat offenders.

I would in fact, be willing to pay more. My reason. Illegals are costing us millions in unpaid hospital bills, not to mention the cost of schooling and free lunches for children.

In the end I don't believe our costs would go up much, if at all. It's been written that most illegals are now working in construction, a job that pays very well and will be filled by legal Americans.

[5stringJeff]

I completely agree with the business owners being heavily fined. I believe there are states who are threatening to take away the business lisences of repeat offenders.

I would in fact, be willing to pay more. My reason. Illegals are costing us millions in unpaid hospital bills, not to mention the cost of schooling and free lunches for children.

In the end I don't believe our costs would go up much, if at all. It's been written that most illegals are now working in construction, a job that pays very well and will be filled by legal Americans.

I wholeheartedly agree. We should punish businesses that hire illegals, just as Arizona is getting ready to do.

[stephanie]

I seem to recall that all of us who have been calling for this to happen, to build the fence and stop this invasion from Mexico, have been called every vile name known to man..Even from a few here on this board...

Go figure..

[PostmodernProphet]

you guys are going about this all wrong.....we need to capitalize on this......okay, over in this corner you have 12 million people who want to work in the US.....over in that corner you have people who say they need to hire 12 million immigrants.....

what we need to do is create a way for the people in that corner hire the people in this corner but take a fee of say, $2 an hour for every job you let the employer fill with immigrant labor.....

then we use that fee to balance the budget......have you people forgotten how to be capitalists?.....

[Pale Rider]

This is the question of the day -- would you be willing to pay higher prices for all consumer goods, if it would solve the problem of illegal immigration?

You'd have to conclusively prove to me that prices would in fact go up. So far, that is just a unproven claim. There is evidence that in fact prices could go down. Illegal aliens COST this country plenty. If they were all at once magically gone, this country would have a massive financial burden all of a sudden lifted. That's good, not bad.

[Gaffer]

It's what I have said all along. Crack down hard on the employers and the illegals problem will dry up. They will go back on their own and deporting them won't be necessary. Sealing the border will be easier and will be just to catch the hardcore criminals trying to cross over. But I'm racist for wanting to get rid of the illegals. However, a legal immigrant says the same thing and its a wonderful revelation.

[Yurt]

gabosaurus;176880]This comes directly from a (legal) Mexican immigrant. It was posted in a Spanish language e-letter. My sister translated it and send it to me. It is rather lengthy, so I will bring out the specific points.

Does this fact somehow make this article/email more authentic? So what if came from a mexican.

Blaming the individual migrants for immigration problems is like blaming drug users for the narcotics problems. You have to go after the businesses who employ them.

Bad analogy. Unlike narcotics, it is much easier to go after the "supplier." Further, are you advocating we let "users" off with a slap on the wrist? Sometimes putting users in jail/prison actually forces them to kick the habit, it works. As such, the same can and should be applied to illegals crossing. We need to make it so that they do not like the reprecussions of coming into this country illegally.

There is a restaurant owner in Los Angeles whose strategically located parking lot is used by day laborers to look for jobs. Every morning, large trucks and vans would come by, specifically a couple of food preparation places and some landscaping businesses.
About a year ago, INS did a huge raid where they closed down several businesses that employed illegal immigrants. For a couple of weeks, the restaurant owner saw the crowd on his lot in the morning dwindle from hundreds to maybe a dozen.

Whenever you read about INS busts or see them on the news, you see the illegals carted off. The business owners get a slap on the wrist, or a small fine. You don't see them prosecuted or closed down. Because they have lawyers and connections.
Businesses that employ illegals are the newest "speakeasys". This is the new Prohibition. If you threaten to shut down the businesses and send the owners to jail, they won't be tempted to hire illegal workers.

Business owners say this will lead to higher prices. Which is true. It will also lead to more jobs for legal residents, at higher wages.
This is the question of the day -- would you be willing to pay higher prices for all consumer goods, if it would solve the problem of illegal immigration?

No doubt we should go after the business owners. However, the slant of this missive seems bent on proclaiming the "innocence" of the illegal migrant which is absolutely false and such thought should not enter your mind gabs. The "user" and the "dealer" are both guilty.

[typomaniac]

It's what I have said all along. Crack down hard on the employers and the illegals problem will dry up. They will go back on their own and deporting them won't be necessary. Sealing the border will be easier and will be just to catch the hardcore criminals trying to cross over. But I'm racist for wanting to get rid of the illegals. However, a legal immigrant says the same thing and its a wonderful revelation.

I still believe that if the U.S. could peacefully annex Mexico it would be a "win-win" all around.

[Yurt]

I still believe that if the U.S. could peacefully annex Mexico it would be a "win-win" all around.

huh? why?

[typomaniac]

huh? why?

Every Mexican citizen becomes a U.S. citizen, and every former Mexican state gets to send reps and senators to Congress. Then there's the jump in U.S. and other investment in what used to be Mexico. Not to mention the extra land, larger tax base, and much more easily controlled southern border.

[Yurt]

Every Mexican citizen becomes a U.S. citizen, and every former Mexican state gets to send reps and senators to Congress. Then there's the jump in U.S. and other investment in what used to be Mexico. Not to mention the extra land, larger tax base, and much more easily controlled southern border.

actually, you will have extended the "southern" border by thousands of miles on the gulf and pacific side.

further, your idea of "peaceful" and "easy" is absolutely in the clouds.

[typomaniac]

actually, you will have extended the "southern" border by thousands of miles on the gulf and pacific side.

Keeping unwanted boats away from our coastline is much easier than keeping unwanted people from crossing a land border, Yurt.

further, your idea of "peaceful" and "easy" is absolutely in the clouds.

The "easy" bit refers to the fact that the land border would be several times shorter in the south.

As for "peaceful..." It might not be as much of a dream as you think. My guess is that plenty of ordinary Mexicans in Mexico would be delighted to have U.S. citizenship for free.

[Yurt]

typomaniac;177067]Keeping unwanted boats away from our coastline is much easier than keeping unwanted people from crossing a land border, Yurt.

You were wrong, admit it. Just because something is "easier" doesn't mean you were right....LOL. And, I am not sure that securing the southern waters would be that secure.

The "easy" bit refers to the fact that the land border would be several times shorter in the south.

As for "peaceful..." It might not be as much of a dream as you think. My guess is that plenty of ordinary Mexicans in Mexico would be delighted to have U.S. citizenship for free.

Ok, find me something to back this up. Also, is it in OUR best interest to have them included in this country? I am not so sure, in fact, I don't think it is a good idea. The cultures are very different. Not like Canada and the US. I don't think it would be smooth menudo.

[gabosaurus]

I seem to recall that all of us who have been calling for this to happen, to build the fence and stop this invasion from Mexico, have been called every vile name known to man..Even from a few here on this board...

What does building a fence have to do with all this? You make no sense at all (as usual).
Building a fence will not stop businesses from hiring illegal aliens. The illegals will find different ways to get here. If there are no jobs, there is no reasons for illegals to cross the border.
You can't pull off leaves and expect the tree to die. You have to go for the root.

Why would the U.S. want to annex Mexico? You would be inheriting the country's vast myriad of problems. Close border and eliminate the source of jobs.