Let’s think about it for a minute, what does the wall or "sealing the border" do:
(a) Gives Americans a symbol to look and say “see what we did”
(b) Gives the world a symbol that says “see America doesn’t want you”
To me that’s the wrong message to send (a) I don’t want a hollow “symbol” I want real change and a long term solution and (b) I want the world to know people are still welcome here as long as you come legally and follow our laws.
To solve this problem we need long term solutions:
1. In the short term - temporarily put some troops on the border – reduce the flow.
2. Fix the issues with e-verify and provide a national means for determining citizenship so that employers have the tools to hire legally. Right now there is way too much CYA and not holding employers responsible due to fake documents, “day labor”, and paying under the table.
3. Once we give teeth to the employment laws, start cracking down on employers. You hire someone and don’t check their ability to work in this country, we're talking stiff fines and jail time.
4. Guarantee that Employers are hiring based on a labor shortage and that the wages/taxes paid are equivalent to hiring an American. Make hiring imported labor more expensive then hiring homegrown or people here legally
5. Restrict access to government services, if you’re here illegally and you have problems take them back to your home country. [Education – NOT, Drivers Licenses – NOT, In State Tuition – NOT, Social Services – NOT, Medical Care – NOT (except for life threatening injuries)]
6. Make Social Services, Education, and Medical facilities responsible for reporting Illegal Aliens attempting to access government programs.
7. Amend the Constitution so that simply giving birth in this country does not automatically guarantee citizenship (anchor babies), you must be here legally.
8. Develop a Temporary Worker program. You want to apply to work here, not a problem but the only registration points are in your country of origin.
9. Each state should modify each of their official State Identifications/Drivers Licenses to include the citizenship status of the individual identified and verify at time of application. The ID would clearly indicate if the individual was a citizen or non-citizen. The ID for citizen's would have a normal expiration date. For those issued to legal residents, the expiration date would be the lesser of the normal expiration date or the date the individuals legal status expires.
Once the these items are in place the need for a wall will diminish because the incentives are removed for breaking the law in the first place.
Did 15 million Illegal Aliens all get shipped here? No, they came here on their own. Same will happen to the majority of those here illegally, they will self deport. Not saying everyone will of course but with no access to employment and no access to social services then a large number will choose to go home. That will leave a smaller number to deal with through normal law enforcement processes.
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1 Lets not forget that the borders being open are a national security issue. We need to build a substantial barrier and build it now.
I don't forget, but addressing the borders from a national security issue is very different then addressing illegal immigrants being here.
I very high percentage come into this country LEGALLY, then overstay their legal status. The whole "build a wall" thing to keep illegal aliens (IMHO) is political chest-thumping and not well thought out.
Democratic Rep. Gutierrez says 40 percent of illegal immigrants overstay visas PolitiFact
Rep. Rob Andrews claims most illegal immigrants first arrived legally with visas and then stayed past the expiration dates PolitiFact New Jersey
2-3. I would say that we need to nationalize the DL formats so it just a matter of glancing at the DL and finding the information in the same place every time.
I don't disagree, but I important point was to include legal status and sync expiration dates.
2-3. Don't you think that if you created stiff fines/prison sentences for anyone hiring illegals that there would be the effect that employers would shy away from hiring anyone with the name "Sanchez", "Ngyuen", or "Mayorga"?
No, it shouldn't. With a fixed e-verify system and mandatory 100% employability check for employees by 100% of employers it wouldn't make any difference if the individuals name was "Sanchez", "Ngyuen", "Mayorga", "Smith", "Jones", "Jackson", or "MacDonald" - they would have to go through the same verification process.
Remember though, there are already laws on the books at both the State and Federal level that make it illegal for employers to not hire based on race, ethnicity, or place of origin. Determining that 100% of hired employees are legal to work, would not change any of that.
Right now people can hire "Sanchez", "Ngyuen", "Mayorga" at lower wages if they are illegal and can produce fake documents because "Sanchez", "Ngyuen", and "Mayorgo" aren't going to argue to much with a boss that is underpaying them but might fire them and turn them over to ICE. When the cost of hiring illegals becomes prohibitive then all legally employable candidates have a level playing field - whether the last name is "Sanchez" or "MacDonald".
5. If an illegal alien is here and they have a communicable disease such as TB or HEP B, which usually isn't life-threatening, you wouldn't want to treat them?
If they needed treatment while in holding, sure - that wasn't what I meant and I think you now that. See #6.
The end result won't be self-deportation for many, if not most. The economy will simply go underground further. Also, what isn't reported often is that some workers are blackmailed into their labor situation since the employers who are aware of the status of the worker and their families.
I think knee-jerk reactions could result in what you say. That's not what I'm talking about though. I'm staying we as a country should think strategically instead of tactically. Strategic thinking says what type of structure do we need in 5-8-10 years. Knee jerk says let me support whatever band-aid will be me reelected next time.
The support for the guest worker program to fill certain labor niches is intended to bring the labor market for such services above ground. For some things like farm work, Amercian's don't want to do the job. On the other hand construction jobs in many areas of the country have been decimated because contractors pick-up day laborers in front of the local Home Depot. Framing, Dry Wall, Painting are jobs that American's will do and it's the current black-market labor force that is hurting them.
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