How would you stop Illlegal Immigration?

Question

Fences? Military? Shoot on site? Amnesty (like Cubans wet feet)? No Man's Land (as is between Koreas)?

OR something else?

Answer 1

(This post is primarily intended to address Mexican immigrants.)

Instead of spending BILLIONS of dollars in wasted reconstruction efforts like Iraq, instead invest some of that money into ethanol refineries in Mexico. Mexican soil isn't very good for most crops, but with some sort of national irrigation system, corn and sugar cane could be grown and manufactured quite easily.

Mass production of these refineries would prove to be beneficial in several ways:

* They would provide much needed jobs for the Mexican people, which would in turn help to prevent many of them from crossing the border illegally. The low-wage jobs that they would find in America wouldn't compare to the income that would be generated by these plants. Couple that with the minimal cost of living in Mexico & the Mexican people could live like kings.

* They could finally prove that they're an economically viable country, which could help their standing in the eyes of highly industrialized nations. Why wouldn't the Mexican people want to pull their country out of the gutter? Illegal immigrants are an embarrassment to the American way of life. Why are our children forced to learn Spanish as a prerequisite in our public school system? Because OUR country is being flooded by people who simply can't speak English...or who speak it very poorly. Mexicans should take more pride in their culture and customs, and make efforts to prove to the world that they're anything but a bunch of freeloaders.

* Last, but not least, this method would make Mexico a valuable economic ally to America. Being right across the border, and with an inherent stress on the world oil supply, Mexico could stand to make HUGE profits from this option. Plus, it would eventually help to irrigate their land and make it more habitable for civilization.

We're tired of inheriting their problems. Fences aren't going to solve the problem, there's simply too much area to be covered. Even under such dire circumstances (i.e. the current economic toll that illegals wreak on America annually), shooting on site wouldn't be an option due to the inherent human rights standpoint. All-out amnesty would be a slap in the face to law-abiding Americans, whether they're natural born citizens, or otherwise. Sure, we could toss landmines across thousands of miles of vast desert between the two countries, but then we'd have to deal with the backlash of hearing countless stories of women and children being blown to bits in the process. Count that one out, too.

...or we could try to find a way to address the problem with civility, where benefits could be found on both sides of the spectrum. Granted, it wouldn't be cheap to fund such an effort. But, housing, detaining, and deporting thousands of illegals every day isn't cheap, and doesn't really seem to be working anyway.

Answer 2

It certainly was a lot easier when all came by ship and the ships went to Ellis Island. I recognize that even though I have a nice IQ and I try to keep informed that this is not a simple question. But it should be a priotity and perhaps we need a think tank for this one. I like the idea of military at the border - it works for some countries. We just need to get a handle on it.

Answer 3

Have illegal alien season from April -September, and give money to the ones with the most in season. This only will work in Texas, and maybe in New Mexico.

Answer 4

Everyone's talking about the wall but nobody is thinking about the environment. How would it affect the animals that live close to the border. Shooting on site wouldn't work because if they were on American soil, they would be allowed the writ of habeas corpus and we can't shoot them if they're on their own land. Quota systems and deportation may be the best way to control it. Also, worker programs where the immigrants come to work and then return to their country may work, but it's all very tricky. Basically, if our economy was really bad and our dollar wasn't as valuable, it would be better controlled.

Answer 5

I would end the pointless war in Iraq and spend those hundreds of billions of dollars on border security instead. Unfortunately we have a bunch of war profiteers running the country and thus wars will be started and endlessly continued whether we like it or not.

Also, make English the official language of this country and jail those who employ illegal aliens.

Answer 6

Mexicans shoot their illegals on sight.

I say the idea with the 6-foot deep trenches and the high fences with razor wire sounds good, though.

Answer 7

Throw all the employers who hire them in jail and maybe let the illegal immigrants go to school, but only long enough to learn and understand what the word "ILLEGAL" means and get them all to write the word in as many sentences as possible to understand even more as to why the word describes why they are not welcome here...LOL. Then deport them back to wherever they come from.

Answer 8

Land mines, machine guns and the Arkansas National Guard.

Whiterabbit07.....get a life and screw the wildlife, secure our borders now.

Answer 9

I bet illegal immigrants, if given amnesty, would still jump the boarder. It's not about getting citizenship... It's about making money.

Answer 10

stop allowing them to get jobs, cars, houses, etc. BUILD THE DAMN WALL! it's ridiculous--if you live in california or southern florida you pretty much HAVE to know spanish or you won't be able to get a job or even get around the city for that matter because most of the street signs are in spanish! why should we have to learn spanish to accomodate their needs? if they truly want to become successful they should WANT to learn our language.