First of all, in this state, "We Push Back" is more likely to be directed toward the Legislature!
Here's my take on the illegal immigration problem. In plain and simple terms, illegal immigration is just another example of the middle class being screwed from within. These people come here for one reason. Jobs. If no one hired them THEY WOULDN'T COME HERE!!! You can deport them, raid their homes, and arrest them, but as long as there are jobs to be had and money to be made, they will keep coming. Businesses decided long ago that it was better for them to pay slave wages and no benefits to illegal immigrants rather than American workers. As a result the American worker can't possibly compete for low/no skill positions. We've been hit with a double whammy. Corporations large enough to move overseas outsourced practically all manufacturing jobs, and we all know where the computer/phone based jobs have gone/are going. Smaller businesses that couldn't be outsourced (Your local construction company, landscaper, or TGI Fridays can't exactly pick up and move to China or India), began to hire people who were quite simply willing to work for less. Also, I really don't want to hear "But I didn't know they were illegal! They fooled me!" That argument holds about as much water as the loan officer who approved a $500K mortgage for a guy who listed his occupation as "McDonalds Drive-Thru" and his salary as $100K.
I find that the most simple analogy to describe this is to picture a broken flaming natural gas main in the middle of the street. You can spray water on the flame to make it smaller all you want-unless you shut off the gas you're never going to put it out. The supply of jobs NEEDS to be cut off. People that hire these workers need to be fined out of business to send a message to anyone else doing the same. These guys need to suck it up and pay an American worker an American wage, plain and simple.
Some have said in this thread that they don't patronize businesses that employ illegal immigrants. At this point that's about as easy as buying products that are made in the U.S. Just because you go to a restaurant and don't see people with tawny skin in the dining room doesn't mean they aren't there. Likewise, just because there are people of Hispanic descent working there doesn't mean they're illegal either. However, wherever you go, illegal immigrants are there. They wash the dishes, bus the tables, take out the trash, etc... Stayed in a hotel lately? An illegal immigrant likely cleaned your room. Bought any kind of produce that requires picking? Guess who picked it? Did you shop in any kind of store? You can bet that there are one or two there.
Let me be clear and say that I'm not "feeling sorry for them," and I don't advocate allowing this to continue. I advocate what the government is afraid to do-go after the people that hire them. A lot of folks take the angle that this is about preserving U.S. sovereignty, etc...which to me is a lot of jingoistic crap bordering on white supremacist crap. This is about businesses large AND small screwing the American worker.
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