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No one knows for certain the facts on the huge populations of illegal immigrants living in the United States.
What is known is that the number of illegals has increased dramatically since the 1990s with the Clinton administration.
The flow of illegals was reduced almost by half during the Bush years, but still ran far higher than in the early 1980s.
What caused the ‘immigration problem’?
The causes of illegal immigration are well known:
Gov't sign discouraging illegal immigration to US
- Government quotas restricting legal immigration;
- Better economic opportunities in the US than in the immigrant’s country of origin;
- Family connections with US residents, both legal and illegal.
Since the 19th century, the Democratic Party has favored immigration, especially of the poor who can be eventually enlisted as voters to support the Democratic cause.
For over twenty years, enforcement of immigration laws has been lax.
A huge portion of the American population is made up of immigrants or the children of immigrants. The remainder of the population is largely made up of descendants of immigrants. Few nations on earth have as diverse a population as the United States and immigration is generally credited with the economic success of the nation.
Political complications
However, although the Democratic Party views illegals favorably as potential voters, the Party’s connections to labor unions has kept immigration quotas down — an obvious hypocritical conflict of positions.
Nevertheless, liberals who make up a large segment of the US civil service — the hidden government , so to speak— hold positions that allow them to write ineffectual regulations regarding illegals, while ensuring lax enforcement.
This has resulted in the government ‘looking the other way’ on immigration enforcement for a generation.
When laws are not enforced for many, many years, public opinion, if not legal opinion, can become very strong against the sudden enforcement of the rules.
Opposition to illegal immigration, mainly in the Republican Party by those who argue that ‘the law must be enforced’, runs into political opposition from the Democratic Party and from public opinion (in both parties) of those linked to illegal immigration (as employers or relatives).
President Bush tried to enact legislation that would make the problem go away, essentially by (eventually ) granting citizenship to the huge population of illegals.
However, to the delight of the Democratic Party, conservatives in the Republican Party vigorously opposed this legislation, on the grounds that ‘the law must be enforced’, whatever the political or economic consequences.
Governor Wilson of California opposed illegal immigration
The rigid position against illegals already had resulted in the Republicans losing control of California after the administration of Governor Pete Wilson.
Conservatives (who would not think of arguing ‘the law must be enforced’ for myriad unenforced ‘Sunday Laws’) became so emotionally seized with this issue that it is likely to harm the Party’s chances in the Presidential election of 2008.
A Democratic victory in 2008 could send the country back into a ‘tax and spend’ big-government regime, reminiscent of the Carter/Johnson years — a result far more destructive to American society that the illegal immigrants (who, in the final analysis, by and large, are productive workers).
What would it cost to deport illegals?
Lets start with one common estimate of the illegal population: 12 million persons.
Now, some have suggested that the US deport these twelve million people, sending them back to their land of birth.
Lets assume that illegal immigrants will not pay any of the costs of this mass deportation, which would fall upon US taxpayers.
What would be the economic consequences of mass deportation of 12 million illegal immigrants?
Making some assumptions
Lets guess that the average annual earnings of an illegal immigrant is $12,000. That suggests that total annual earnings of the illegal population might be about $144 billion.
This amounts to about 1.4% of total household income in the US in 2006.
So the first cost of deporting 12 million people would be a reduction in the Gross Domestic Product of the United States, which would have a negative impact on almost everyone who works for a living in the private sector.
Although, many claim that illegal immigrants don’t ‘pay their fair share’ of taxes, the fact is that they have to eat and buy clothes and live somewhere and therefore they do indeed pay sales taxes and, directly or indirectly, property taxes on the places they stay.
As far as income taxes go, illegals are not much different from the large segment of the legal population (almost 50%) who pay no income taxes at all.
Moreover, many illegal immigrants are working with fake social security numbers and working at places that discount social security taxes, from which they will never benefit.
Anyway, we might assume that without the contribution of illegal immigrants, tax receipts at state and federal level would be at least $5 billion less.
Maybe this is not much, but at least it’s not a positive economic gain, as some suppose.
The practicality of mass deportation
Lets say, however, that American voters do conclude that its worth the decline in GDP, sales taxes, and property values to ‘cleanse’ America of illegals, and that ‘we the people’ decide to adopt a ‘final solution’ for illegal immigrants: mass deportation.
What would this involve?
- To send 12 million people abroad by 747 would require about 30,000 flights. Assuming an average cost of $1,000 per air ticket (St. Louis to Mexico City), the cost of this air transport would be about $12 billion. This number of flights is about equal to the total number of flights in one day in the United States. Obviously, to manage this mass exodus, without disrupting normal commerce in the United States, would take some exquisite, fine planning on the part of the government — not government’s strong suit.
- To deport 12 million people by Greyhound bus would be cheaper, but would still require 240,000 bus loads, assuming everyone comes from Mexico, which they don’t. Of course, just as in the case of deportation by air, this would place a strain on the transportation system, as well as on the government to coordinate and oversee this massive transfer of people.
US experience with incarcerating civilians (Japanese-Americans WW II)
- If all deportees resisted and were sent to jail, this would require accommodations to hold more than five times the number of inmates currently housed in state and federal prisons, assuming that the prisons could also be outfitted to handle the influx of women and children. This would probably cost at least $12,000 per person per year to keep them in prison, or about $144 billion.
- If the ACLU lawyers have anything to say about it (and they always manage to get involved in such matters), each of these 12 million deportees would have the right to counsel and a fair trail. This would require at least two or three million public defenders and a vast increase in the number of judges and court personnel. The US laws, like it or not, give legal rights to illegal aliens and consequently would impose enormous costs on the economy to defend, try, and incarcerate the illegal population.
- Although the popular media doesn’t give this impression, a large number of illegal immigrants come from places that do not border on the US, like Brazil, Columbia, Argentina, Indonesia, and so forth. The cost of sending these people back home would be considerably more expensive and would be complicated by diplomatic problems.
Americans can do anything
Of course, this doesn’t mean that mass deportation couldn’t be done.
In America, we can do anything we put our minds to.
It would take a high level of logistic planning, which as seen in Hurricane Katrina, doesn’t seem to be a strong point of the government sector.
In any event, my ball park estimate of the cost of deporting illegal immigrants would be somewhere north of $200 billion dollars — in the first year.
So, the presumed economic advantages of mass deportation seem illusive, while the political disadvantages to whatever Party were to try to enforce mass deportation, seem immense, even suicidal.
This is an issue fraught with unintended political and economic consequences for all involved.
Furthermore, unless the US legal population actively and whole-heartedly supports the idea of mass deportation (which is not the case), for all intents and purposes, in a democracy, the project would not be capable of being executed — you can’t push on a string.
Category: 
ppl should know what they r talkin about before they post.
You MUST be an illegal immigrant yourself to write such an article. Either way, you are wrong in your philosophy of stating illegal immigrants and their way of existance in the United States is not affecting this country. Entitlement programs for these people are going to cost into the billions. There is already a country for them. The name of the country is Mexico. They have a president for the country and many more “perks”. Running away from problems never worked for anyone. They are running from their own country. If they understand that Mexico needs reform, then they are intelligent and have enough of a mind to put them through college. College degrees produce careers. Mexico needs economists, lawyers and politicians. Illegal immigrants: stop crying and stay for your country to make it a better place.
Well, I’m not an illegal immigrant and the idea that all illegals come from Mexico is simply wrong. Nor do I support breaking the law. However, when laws are not enforced for over a generation, it becomes politically difficult, even impossible to enforce them. For example, the US government made ‘treaties’ (the highest form of law) with Indian tribes in the 19th century. Just try to enforce them today.
The ‘illegal immigrant’ problem was not caused by voters who were for or against the idea of immigration, but rather by government bureaucrats who never can be fired and who have looked the other way for over 20 years and have allowed millions to stream into the country.
Enforcement has been so lax that I know of cases where illegals have come in by 747 jet and shipped their household goods by sea, going directly to US lawyers and starting the process of legalization. You can go to many posh hotels in South Florida and find illegals at every level of the staff, most having paid something to Immigration lawyers to legalize their status.
By now, there are illegals in virtually every state and most towns and cities in the US, almost all are working at something useful (or they wouldn’t be paid), and many, many have legal relatives or children. Simplistic ’solutions’ are no longer available when laws go unenforced for many years.
well (to the person who responded above) first of all, you’re negative view of an amazing country and our president is shameful. If you are so embarassed to be an American, why don’t you do us all a favor and move away?! You are not FORCED to live here. What you are proposing for the government to do is just immoral and wrong. What if it was you who was born to a family that did not have enough money for food and to give you clothing? And you went to the United States to live a better life, and one day the government sent a bus to your house took you back to where you came from!? These people are just trying to survive. Yes, I will agree, some of the things illegal aliens do are wrong..but have a heart and understand where they are coming from. Treat others the way you would want to be treated.
illegals don’t pay taxes. they steal identities to get jobs then pay nothing. we give them health care and driver’s licenses even though they have broken the law to come here. why didn’t the gov. round them all up when they had the illegals day and all took off work to protest our gov.? instead we sent camera crews to film them. we should have sent a fleet of busses to drive them all out of our country. i know that this country was founded by immigrants, but they were legal immigrants who came into this country legally. they didn’t sneak across the border to take advantage of our country. i have nothing against legal immigrants who follow the rules, but any of these people who do it illegally should not be coddled, rewarded and forgiven. they should be sent back to where they came from instead of being allowed to take advantage of our country and it’s citizens. it makes me sick. the way our asshole president is acting, i think that he wants to open the border instead of guarding it. he wants to reward the illegals for making it over the border and give them more rights then american citizens have. i am embarrased to be an american. obama is making this country a laughing stalk for the rest of the world. he has opened the gate for all illegals to run through as fast as they can while the border patrol turns their heads. this country is being destroyed from within. what ever happened to the proposed border wall?? i guess obama decided to reward illegals instead of trying to keep them out. if i have to push 1 for english one more time, i think that i will snap !!
Well, Nell, you’re quite right in that Obama just loves illegals, especially those who are poor and ignorant. This has been the pattern of the Democratic Party since the days of Tammany Hall when the ‘community organizers’ of those days would meet immigrants on the docks to teach them how to vote Democratic. Where you see ‘illegals’, Obama sees ‘voters’. That’s what it’s all about.
Of course, as you point out so well in your writing, many in the US, legal and illegal, could learn to speak and write English just a little better.
To assume that all undocumented immigrants don’t pay taxes is just not accurate. I have worked as a Human Resources Recruiting Consultant for over 10 years. The majority of undocumented workers are working with someone else’s identity and paying taxes. Many file income tax returns just like the rest of us. The IRS allows them to use a Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) to file taxes. This number identifies them as who they are but they can report wages earned using their work identity. Now, this may suprise you but the IRS is well aware of this. They know exactly who’s “legal” and who isn’t. These workers also pay Social Security and Medicare and they never get to use that money. Don’t be fooled for a second, the United States is the most powerful country on the planet, if they wanted to stop folks from coming here undocumented, it would be stopped.
I personally don’t see how undocumented immigrants are a drain on society either. Contrary to popular belief, you must be a citizen or permanent resident to get welfare.
Some immigrants risk their lives to come here so they can feed their families. They come here to work, not get freebies. I am an American citizen born and raised. I grew up in the Applachian Mtns, extremely poor with a father who drank like a fish and rarely worked. We struggled to say the least. I have learned from that experience that if you want something you have to bust your butt to get it. I have always done that very thing. I have been a single parent for the past 14 years. My husband passed away when my youngest daughter was 10 months old, leaving me to raise three children alone. I have worked two or three jobs at times to support us but my children have never done without. It would be a cold day in hell before I’d set back and watch them go hungry. If that meant breaking laws or whatever, then so be it. On that level I can relate to immigrants. I mean, have you ever heard your baby cry for food?
As for worrying that someone will take my job. I look at it this way. I was born in the greatest country in the world. The opportunites are there for the taking as long as I’m willing to work for them. If someone from another country comes to the US, undocumented, risking their life to get here, doesn’t speak the language and isn’t welcomed by many, and has the ability to take my job well, all I can say is that she’s a better woman than me and she deserves it.
I’m not saying our borders should be open by any means. But the folks we are talking about mainly seems to be our Hispanic neighbors. Their culture is different, yes, but for the most part they are hard working, spiritual, family oriented people who just want to provide for their families.
I think we are going way overboard with this Immigration stuff. People have been immigrating here forever. All of our ancestors immigrated from somewhere. It’s always hard to accept the newest immigrants, it takes time. But rest assured, it will happen, it always does.
Thank you, Gage, for your very useful contribution to this discussion. Your information on the IRS is particularly interesting.
I agree with the fact that illegal immigrants should be deported, because when we go to other countries if we were to overstay our visas or enter illegally we would have to be deported, I feel its only fair. This way things would not get out of hand like it has here in the US because of this now we are in a recession and Illegal Immigrants get stuck doing the worst jobs and being treated unfairly why put yourself in that situation just do things the right way and you lead a much happier life. Just my opinion.
Okay, maybe deporting a whopping twelve million (if that is even an accurate number, it could be LESS or MORE by a lot) people back to their country would be a costly operation. But lets say we only deport people who hold all of these traits:
- not born in America
- not legally married to an American citizen
- not legally in the country
- ect, I am sure people can think of even more reasons why they should not be in the country.
This greatly reduces the number of people to be deported, plus it would be an operation OVER TIME, and would have benefits of less money being spent on immigrants. Then we impose illegal immigration policies that would prevent almost all illegal immigration. Such as a more protective border. I can’t fathom why people would want to PREVENT people from doing some illegal while NOT taking away our civil liberties. All immigration then would be under control, therefore we do not have an overwhelming influx of immigration. I am not in anyway saying “STOP ALL IMMIGRATION!” but I am saying “CONTROL IT!”
well hi hows evrybody im an illegal imigrant haha and well i got deported to mexico for selling dope and well thank god i had tha money to bond out and get deported i was facing a 25 year sentance and know im in cancun zippin champaigne it cost me 100 thousand 2 bail out but that aint shit good thing is i got ma fredom and well im going back 2 tha us illigaly like always and well ima take a litle gift 4 all tha crack and cook head americans and well after a few cergerys im legal know well and dont worry u cant deport us all and plus yall need us
F*ck all you American piece of sh*ts. I was deported after 22 years and I would blow your f*cken heads off. I am from Poland and if I ever see a f*cken American, I will treat him like the shit that he is. Americans are dumb compared to Europeans. Thank god for Obama,
Thanks, Dre, for the warning. I’ll try not to bump into you in a dark alley in Warsaw. By the way, how is it working out in Poland, now that Obama has removed that pesky missile shield. Feel safer?
This is an issue of millions of Americans being fired from their jobs so greedy scum bags can hire a cheeper less competent model. The invaders have caused this economic meltdown and everyone knows it. They have no fffing right to invade OUR country only to destroy all that was built by hard working people. nobama wants us to give our American dream to the invaders and i say he can kiss my booty. I will fight till the very end to save what I’ve worked for.
So… say what you want but “it is cheeper to deport them… than it is to support them”…
I have had it with this foreign invasion and if the government won’t do anything then maybe we should!!!!!!!
dude youre an idiot, go cut yourself! Do you inderstand that taxpayers are spending more money on their health care and all that other s**t than to deport them? oh and dont forget those 7.7 million working illegal immigrangt dont pay taxes!
We already have third world status within our borders. Xenophobia? Integrity? Please…… While it’s quite true this country was built by immigrants the fact is it ain’t THESE illegal immigrants! THESE illegals are here to get what they can from us, to take advantage of our generosity. The above article is written in conjecture, supposition, and assumptions and the author uses those to reach a conclusion that supports his own beliefs. …………. ………… …………. It’s ok if after they’re gone my taxes increase. At least I will have the extreme pride and satisfaction that the United States will be here when the world needs us. At the present rate of illegals entering and their financial drain on us, the US will not survive another generation. This is NOT what my Uncle James Russell Sellers died for on the beaches of Normandy in WWII.
Well, as you can see from the comments so far, the proponents of mass deportation of illegal immigrants are quite vocal and heated. Unfortunately, this point of view has now helped to guarantee that liberals will control the White House for the next four (perhaps eight ) years and also to ensure that illegal immigrants will now definitely not be deported.
There is a big difference between what is legally correct and what is politically feasible. Once an illegal practice is allowed to persist for many years, it becomes accepted and extremely difficult to reverse. Illegal immigration gathered impetus during the Clinton immigration and was allowed to continue under George Bush. We now have a period of over sixteen years when the floodgates have been opened. The idea that the Obama administration is going to deport millions of potential voters to their cause (remember ACORN and the motor voter act) is pure fantasy. Meanwhile, the far-right Republicans continue to commit political suicide by advocating positions that appear to a large part of the resident population as pure xenophobia.
In the case of illegal immigration, those in favor of mass deportation forget some very important facts: (1) almost half of the U.S. legal population pays no income taxes at all (shall we deport them?); (2) the Republicans lost control of California for years when Pete Wilson took a strong stance against illegal immigration; (3) all residents in the U.S., legal or not, pay sales taxes and directly or indirectly, property taxes. Illegal immigrants do not all live out of their cars. Many have homes (sometimes financed by the imprudent mortgages pushed by the likes of Barney Frank and Chris Dodd) and most of the rest rent, which means that they pay property taxes through their landlords.
Of course, a prolonged depression and lack of jobs will do more to “deport” illegal aliens than any government action and this is already happening. Unfortunately, this will do little to remove the antipathy towards conservatives that has been created by the “deport them all” stance on illegal immigration, which will weigh on Republican election results for years to come.
Now, of course, we have a Democratic administration that is likely to tax working Americans to distribute “tax rebates” to those who are not working and don’t pay taxes, in the name of “economic stimulus”. In the process, they will also give tax rebates to illegal aliens. Personally, I would rather pay an illegal immigrant to cut my grass and trim my hedges than to have Barrack Obama and Nancy Pelosi take money away from me through taxes to give to some “legal” American whose only “work” has been to vote Democratic in the last election. But that is what we now have.
So, dear proponents of “legality at all costs”, think of the practical results of having allowed yourselves to exhibit apparent xenophobia when your next tax bill comes.
I think you are forgetting the fact that they are illegal and that they have no right under the law to be here. We cater to them and it has to stop. We spend billions of dollars a year taking care of them at the TAXPAYERS expense. No where else in the world can you live illegally and recieve services the way they do. They can get free health care, child care, education, housing, food stamps, wic, FAMIS when legal people cannot recieve these services. In the long run we would be saving money.
And this is called the land of the free??? whatever, there is people from all over the world here without citizenships, visa, green cards or anything else. But it seems that the Hispanic ones is the only ones that get any thing done to them that you hear about. so therefore are we deaf to them? I know quite a few of them that work, pay their rent and everything on time. Unlike some of the people born in the USA. They work for less money than other people would and do a GREAT job at their work. They are not over here opening up convience stores then going back and letting another family member come and run this one, so that when the times comes that the original one can come back and open another business and do it over and over again. So where is the Freedom in the USA?????
I don’t care what it costs. It has to cheaper than letting them stay working for cash and not paying ANY taxes. Which is what they do I know they get construction jobs and are paid like the rest of us with a 1099. You are responsible for paying your own taxes. They can avoid paying for years until they are caught. In fact most of them give builders false info and never get caught. Giving them untold amounts of free money to send back to “methico”, even if caught they just go back through open border door and come right back to do it all over again. Plus, they are draining the welfare and medicad system. SO BARRING ALL THIS IN MIND, I SAY NO PRICE IS TO HIGH TO RID THE COUNTRY OF THESE LEECHES. I KNOW I WOULD LIKE MY CONSTRUCTION JOB BACK. DEPORT THEM NOW, STOP AMY MORE FOREIGNERS FROM ENTERING, SECURE THE DAMN BORDER, NO MORE ANCHOR BABIES, JUST STOP THE INVASION BEFORE WE BECOME A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY AND OUR KIDS ARE STANDING IN BREAD LINES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think people forget that we are illegal immigrants to this country as well. I mean who are we to complain? We stole this land from the Native Americans.
This is not an issue that is so black and white. There is a whole lot of gray on this issue that must be taken into consideration. If anybody is going to take on this issue they must consider LAW and JUSTICE but they must also consider HUMAN DIGNITY and above all PRACTICALITY.
On the one hand you have the Law that must be kept. If anyone thinks that illegal immigration continues to grow because congress CAN’T stop it, they are WRONG. Consider this quote: “The reason we do not have secure borders is because of an insatiable demand for cheap labor,” says Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo. In other words, congress has the law, but refuses to enforce it because it benefits our economy….or so they think so.
In contrast, there is a valid argument that illegal immigration does nothing more for our economy than lower wages. Are there jobs that American citizens won’t do? Yes! Are there jobs that American citizens won’t do for a decent wage? No! Thus the influx of illegal immigrants does not necesarilly mean that they will fill jobs that Americans refuse to fill, rather they takes jobs for much less pay that otherwise the employer would have had to pay a higher wage.
Does more jobs for less pay equal better economy or does it simply mean greater earnings for employers who provide jobs to illegal immigrants.
Now, what about practicality and human dignity. It is not practicle for the United States Government to “purge” our country of the illegal immigrants found herein. Such a purging would inherently carry hints of Nazi Germany, not to mention the astrinomical cost to carry it out. In such a case, our government would be tearing families apart (i.e. marraiges of illegal immigrants to perminant residents). Furthermore, the persicution of illegal immigrants does nothing more than force them more and more underground. The result is an increased multiplicity of illegal immigrant activity out of public view (i.e. forgery of immigration and citizenship documents).
I think everyone agrees that it is a problem that must be fixed. amnesty supporters cite the forcing of illegals “underground”. Those who oppose amnesty cite that illegal activity is still illegal, no matter how you look at it.
They are both correct, however, if something is to be done about it, the solution must be practical. I has to be something that CAN ACTUALLY BE DONE. In my opinion, the only real solution would be to provide a difinitive way for illegal immigrants already living here to obtain naturalization and congress MUST finally let go of their double standard by upholding the laws and securing our borders by whatever means necessary.
Thanks, James, for your comment. It’s always nice to have a comment from someone who can actually spell and express themselves cogently. As you can see from some comments (which I don’t bother to correct), clarity of expression (if not forcefulness) is not always a strong point of those who exercise the right of free speech.
Listen Mrs Michelle…Did you not read anything???are u retarted???
are u missing a damn screw!!!
first of all u seem to be tramatized about sum-thing that has happened to u…wut makes u think all immigrants are mexican???
immigrants are paying taxes and social security the same exact way you are…
im pretty sure that yur great-great-great grandfather was’nt born here…i wonder if he got shot after the third try???
OK LOOK STUPID IDIOTS OBVIOUSLY U KNOW NOTHING!!!! EVERYONE IN THE DAMN USA IS A DESCENDENT OF AN IMMIGRANT!!!! WE ALL HAD TO GET HERE SOMEHOW!!!!ANY WAYS ILLIGAL IMMIGRANT DO ALL THE THE WORK THAT “U SO CALLED NATURAL-BORN CITIZENS” DONT WANT TO DO SO SHUT UR TRAP!!!! I AM NOT AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT I AM BORN HERE BUT OPEN UR FREAKEN EYES!!! DONT BE FOOLED PEOPLE!!!
ILLEGAL immigrants, is what they are, ILLEGAL, THUS BREAKING THE LAW. IT IS COSTING OUR COUNTRY 60 BILLION A YEAR TO TAKE CARE OF ILLEGALS, yes they need to be deported, and if they keep coming back on the 3rd time be shot… that is exactly how mexico would treat us. It is illegal in every country to reside their illegally, you must have permission, legal documentation, a job, and pay taxes, wake up. Deportation, and seizure of monies, cars, anything will pay for these things, in my small town Union City Tn, I believe our town could make money. Tons of mexicans are leaving Tyson, and readily admit they have no drivers liscence, seize their autos, and monies……american citizens(LEGAL) are subject to these punishments, why arent illegals, even when drunk they don’t seize the autos.
An article on the ‘Center for Immigration Studies’ website, by Michelle Malkin, points out the built-in legal barriers to deporting immigrants: (http://www.cis.org/articles/2002/back1002.html)
Compare the number of cases that these bureaucrats are capable of handling in a year with the number of illegal immigrants in the US and the millions of voters in the Democratic party who oppose mass deportation and who therefore favor these bureaucratic barriers.
Although the ‘deport them all’ way of thinking is appealing to native born xenophobes, and although there is no question that it is not ‘right’ that the situation has been allowed to get out of hand, the practicalities of cost, politics, and entrenched legal barriers make the ‘mass deportation solution’ a matter of political rhetoric rather than a practical social remedy.
Hi
No we are not nuts! In any other country it would not have been allowed to get this bad. If they want to be here so badly then they need to become full fledged Americans. If they can not afford the cost of legally becoming American then there should be assistance available to help them. As for the cost of deportation, seize their cash and property tp pay for at least part of the expense of sending them back home.
I am sure some of the illegals are nice people. I know many of them are hard working. To some degree my heart goes out to the hard working nice ones, but the word “illegal” means “against the law”. A crime is a crime is a crime.
There has to be some solution to this problem where both illegals can be made legal citizins, we can avoid expensive deportation and all parties can be happy.
Our country is in big debt, and the sudden increase in taxes collected from 12 million illegal people becoming legal would help. Oh it wouldn’t solve the entire problem, nothing will at this point. But it would help.
Bottom Line: Make these people legal residents with voting rights and tax paying ability OR be prepared to face the expense of sending them home.