EXACTLY what I was thinking...

 

Demands such as opportunity and what else? Although taking away demand seems feasible in a nutshell, it ultimately seems like doing so screws us even more. Please explain what you have in mind regarding demand...

 

I don't know what Deyes meant by that, but I've thought about how to reduce the demand before (demand I see as employers wanting cheaper labor because it's illegal, in paralel with Americans wanting drugs...not the desire of people to come here. People wanting to come here is more similar to the desire of cartels to make money off drugs, both of which cannot really be changed).

I would suggest making over the top penalties for employers who are found to hire illegals. Sort of like the $1000 littering fine; make it extreme. Maybe $500,000 per illegal found in employment. The problem with that is that it would kill a bunch of businesses...unless you give legality to those who are already here and start fresh.

 

Having cheap labor in the form of sweatshops is illegal but the reasoning behind cheap labor is because Juan & Pedro can exactly qualify for a job at intel. Lack of experience and launguage skills leaves them little choice. You don't need to know English at all to pick produce. Illegal labor is illegal.

I’m all for this but in doing so you'll eliminate the entire illegal workforce you praise. It will eventually force bottom of the barrel blue collar workers to start filling jobs and increase the cost of food (that or starvation will motivate people enough to take low wages still). I have enough space in my backyard for a garden, do you?

 

I'm not really getting your point here. If legal immigrants picked produce, then it would be legal labor.

Well, what I'm suggesting is that instead of eliminating the entire work force, you make them legal. Then they would be, essentially, the 'bottom of the barrel blue collar workers' as you put it. Yes, it would cause those businesses to pay and therefore charge more, but it would equilibriate quickly. I don't really see anyway out of paying more to get out of the situation where illegals do labor...I mean, do we WANT to have illegals here to keep prices down, or would we rather have everyone legal and pay more for goods (but less for other things like health care that illegals currently cost us more for). I was under the impression we all wanted a situation where all immigrants are legal.

 

This seems like it would create more opportunity for Mexicans to come here in the first place, doesn't it? I agree with you in respect that it won't completely cripple our agriculture fields. Instead, it will let it come to an equilibrium more gradually.

But now consider all the immigrants that already have a foot in the US with a newly acquired legal status. Then consider how many people in Mexico that would gladly cross the border for a legal status to work the fields until they grasp English. Within a year or two they're off to the races and are only concerned about paying their own healthcare. The United States would be busting at the seams overnight and Mexico would be a economic and industrial ghost town. For Mexico, coming to the US at 16 would be like American 18yr olds going off to college or joining the Army.

There’s a lot of good ideas out there but the key player that always cripples us is the great amount of volume we’re dealing with and a means to control everything. You could go with your plan only if we preemptively erect a giant wall on each border with armed guards every 100meters. Only then could you waive the green flag on granting all current illegal immigrants a legal status. If you were premature then there would be no way to keep a system of checks and balances on those that were here first, especially when the news gets back to Mexico and we get a immigration rush unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

 

Yeah, I see your point about trying to keep out Mexicans that hear about amnesty. I guess I was thinking that if you did a one time amnesty, along with huge fines for hiring an illegal that are enacted the same day, then you would be left with a legal work force and no employer even thinking about hiring new illegals; then if any illegals came they would be unable to find work, and hopefully that would stem the tide.

No matter what it's a logistical nightmare though. The drug war analogy is a good one, because for all the great theorys and ideas on how to reduce the demand while stopping the supply it is pretty much inevitable that drug use and illegal immigration will always happen.

 

I'm not sure what opportunity has to do with demand. But if we got rid of minimum wages (not very popular with liberals I know) and imposed and enforced penalties on employers knowingly employing illegals....
I think it would be highly ironic if we somehow stopped the flow of illegal immigrants and made it easier for people to legally emigrate. What do you think Mexicos reaction would be to that? My other concern is our bias toward Mexican immigrants, I mean I know its easier for them to get here but I'd like to see more ethnically diverse immigration numbers. What we need is millions of Filipinos instead! Just kidding, but you get the idea.

 

That's what I've been thinking...

 

Opportunity is what the United States has to offer. It's one of the most important aspects of demand there is regarding immigration into the USA. You eliminate just that one factor among many similar ones and you'll also hinder opportunity for Americans as well.

Simply put, you cannot take demand away from immigration without hurting US citizens in the process. The very fabric of American living and the American way of life is the demand.