Well, that's the problem -- employers cheating local economy by hiring illegal employees for a fraction of legal wages. Making illegals legal in one fell swoop doesn't solve the problem, because then their families come too.
Not to mention whoever gets the idea that the law doesn't matter because their crime might just be forgiven away.
No, the answers are:
1. Make it too risky and too difficult to cross the border illegally.
2. Hit businesses that employ illegals where it hurts -- on the bottom line. $20,000 fine -- per illegal.
3. Terminate the employment of, and levy the exact same fine against, any official who shirks their responsibility to enforce the law on this issue -- regardless of how much position or seniority that official has.
4. No more free pass, diplomatically, for Mexico. Tell them either they get the problem under control from their end, or we'll get it under control from ours, by any means necessary. They'll have to respond to an ultimatum firmly one way or the other, after which it'll be pretty hard for them to deny knowledge and responsibility.
The fact is that there's no reason for our military to be in Iraq, and every reason for it to be here, defending our own border against Mexican insurgents -- I'm referring specifically to the ones packing Humvees, mounted machine guns and automatic small arms. That's what our military is supposed to be for, defending this country.
