Pros and Cons

Correct answer:

1. Secure the border.  This means physical barriers (an actual, physical fence), virtual barriers (cameras, satellite reconnaissance, drones), and boots on the ground.


2. Reduce magnets.  Here’s the difficult but necessary action that must be taken: no illegal alien should get a single dime of taxpayer benefits, including education, health care, social security, etc.  Is it harsh?  Yes.  But if we enacted and enforced such laws, many illegals would voluntarily go home, because they would be worse off here than back in Mexico.  This reduces the amount of deportation necessary.  Also, aggressively enforce laws barring employers from employing illegals.  Again: no job, no money, no reason to stay.


3. Deportation.  Realistically, can we deport all 11 million illegal immigrants?  Sure, it’s doable.  But extremely difficult and costly.  However, it is a judgment call as to whether it is worth the cost, versus giving some illegals the opportunity to become legal (not citizens, but legal resident status).  If so, then certainly, we need to establish strict and high standards for determining who gets to stay under those conditions.  Newt’s plan (25 years, no criminal record, family here, gainful employment, etc.) is probably a pretty good idea, if we go that route.

My suggestion: We announce a one year moratorium on illegal immigration enforcement.  All illegal immigrants have one year to wrap up their affairs, and leave the country.  During that year, we won’t change any laws, deport any illegals, and so forth  We won’t even arrest any illegals except for crimes unrelated to their alien status.  After that one year, however, we enact the foregoing policies.  Further, illegal immigrants do not get the benefit of our civil legal system, i.e. they cannot bring civil suit, although they can be sued.  They can be subject to our criminal justice system, but without the safeguards that our citizens inherently get, i.e. public defenders or appointed counsel for indigents, the warrant requirement for searches and seizures, the right to appeal, etc.  They are permitted only basic human rights, i.e. no cruel and unusual punishment, no excessive force, etc..  All property of illegal immigrants can be automatically seized and held by a federal, state or local government, and condemned for public use if/when not needed for criminal prosecution.