OK, give me a WORKABLE solution (Ron Paul, visas, license, illegal immigrants)

[golfgod]

I asked this question of an acquaintance who's pretty worked up about the immigration issue. How would you REALISTICALLY get rid of the illegals that you say are draining the country. When I say realistically, I don't mean some "pie in the sky", I wish it would work plan. I mean something that could overcome the political realities.

Here's what he proposed, and my arguments for why it would NOT happen.

1. Round em up, and ship em out. I'm guessing that this is just a "red meat" phrase. Since 160,000 US troops plus another 20,000 contractors can't locate a "few deadenders" in Iraq. I'm guessing that we don't have the manpower domestically to perform this task.

2. Jail the people that hire them! I remember that this was the cornerstone of the Reagan plan. The big problem is that the "people that hire them", are business owners (predominantly Republicans) who are the lifeblood of both political parties. That means they make DONATIONS to candidates. People who make donations have the elected offical's ears. When federal agents start arrresting employees and cutting into profits, or arresting employers those contributors will be on the phone to the elected officals.

A basic understanding of how politics really works (not the ninth grade civics textbook way of how it's supposed to work) will point out that this is totally unworkable.

Since most elected officials are Republicans, particularly at the "border state" level, I don't see the "arrest the bosses" strategy working.

Remember, George Bush and the Republicans WANT the illegal immigrants here. It increases the profits for their business owner buddies, it creates an entire class of low income workers who can't unionize and can't register to vote for Democrats. And it gives them an entire class of people to demonize, since most Americans are getting pretty sick of the R's 40 years of "southern strategy" of demonizing black citizens.

golfgod

[Nea1]

We don't have to round them up. As in AZ many are returning home because it is near impossible to live and work there with the laws being enforced. It is simple, enforce our laws, make it impossible for them to live and work here, they will go home. If they want to come back, issue work visas, with companies sponsering them. As far as becoming citizens, go home and apply like everyone else. We have high unemployment, we have PLENTY of people to fill the jobs.

[bryan61]

I would argue your points if it mattered what the federal government does. The states have taken charge of their problems and are drawing up legislation to deal with the problems of illegals already here. State legislatures dont care about the lobbys and PACs in Washington.

All we need from the Federal government is a barrier to entry at the border to keep them out once the states run em off.

[Nea1]

Oh and another thing, the ones that gather to protest, round them up and send them home!! Talk about easy pickings, they are already grouped!!

[Arizona Bound]

stop allowing anchor babies automatic citizenship.. would greatly reduce the numbers all on thier own, once word gets out that they NO LONGER can sneak over and spit-out thier automatic citizen baby.

Continue the building of our border fence.. will take time.. but better than not building it all all!

Then when illegals are picked up.. THEN return them over the fence. it will take some time.. but many will get deported as time goes on and the numbers will get reduced.

Keep a secure watch of the border and fence.

After some time.. and after the costs and burden on the American tax payers decreases due to the above reasons.. some tax dollars can then be allocated to beef-up the deportation process and so-on...

Since the problem of anchor babies, and the problem of illegals sneaking across our border is not getting any better.. but worse.. we have to start somewhere. Billions are spent each and every year on illegals.. a huge burden! No it will not give relief overnight to American tax payers.. but just by changing the automatic anchor baby citizen law in itself.. would create a huge reduction of illegals in a very short time.. Think about the huge, gigantic amount of American tax dollars that it takes by way of healthcare alone in anchor babies, then on to welfare, foodstamps, free housing and so-on! Yes they will still sneak over.. BUT the big number one difference will be NO MORE automatic citizenship.. just because they chose to illegally sneak across to have that baby!

Finish the border fence.. secure watch on the border.. no more automatic citizenship anchor babies to illegal mothers.. slowly but surely we will get OUR country back!

[RedNC]

Unless you have been living under a rock the workable solution is simple, enforce the law.
Arizona, Oklahoma, Georgia are good examples of what happens when states pass state laws to enforce existing federal laws.
Swift is a good example of how to go after employers.

The problems with real estate are seeing substantial construction employment loses. This attrition will result in many illegals self deporting. After all since they are only here to work, they will not stay without jobs.

[Ozark-Baby]

Originally Posted by Nea1

Oh and another thing, the ones that gather to protest, round them up and send them home!! Talk about easy pickings, they are already grouped!!

Yep, and the ones that are here legally or are citizens that protest with the illegals should be charged with aiding the illegals and jailed.

[TriMT7]

In addition to making it easier for private individuals to sue companies for using illegal immigration (to recoup the money spent providing services to illegals), and federal fines for employer violations, the only solution MUST be two-prong. While less and less jobs will stem the tide, we must make "self-deportation" the only viable alternative for those who remain here illegally.

Though I'm not a ROn Paul supporter, his immigration plan is right on target: Take away the incentives to immigrate here illegally: No education, healthcare, licenses, welfare, foodstamps, government assistance of ANY kind to those who aren't here legally.

Oh yeah, and I'd re-craft the 14th Amendment to be more in line with other westernized, industrialized nations vis-a-vis citizenship.

[ProLogic]

I think the simplest way to get them out is to threaten to do INS busts at work places. If this happens enough then 1 of two things might happen. One, they leave their job and they try to find work else where. and if theres no work they go back to where they came from. Or two, they self deport.

[nvxplorer]

Let me ask you something, golfgod.

If Al Qaeda announced that millions of Muslims were on their way into the US, via the southern border, would we throw our hands in the air and say, "Oh, well. We can't stop them."

Nothing is unworkable. Your rebuttals fail to realize that political climates change. Without a shift in political opinion, yes, you are correct. However, as evidenced by state and local legislative action, the tide is shifting. The American people can be pushed only so far. We're now pushing back. There will always be a breaking point, such as that we'd experience with the hypothetical terrorist invasion mentioned above. Once we've arrived at that breaking point, the people cease to care about how an action is accomplished, just as long as results are realized. I think we're now approaching that point.