I have often remarked that the best way to stop illegal immigration is to interrupt what motivates illegals to come here in the first place--to find work.

If we made it illegal for Americans to hire illegals, and actually enforced it, eventually they would stop coming. By fining, and if necessary, jailing, American employers who hired illegals, eventually the illegals would self-deport. Those who were here without papers would have to leave. And you wouldn't need a massive and expensive enforcement program either, just give them a few months to get ready, and then gradually start sending bosses to jail. The word would get around real quick, I want to tell ya.

This method would also have the advantage of being much more controllable than just a blanket overnight ban. It could be managed so employers would have time to make other staffing arrangements, and illegal nationals here would have time to settle their affairs or apply for work permits before they returned--at their own expense, not hunted down, jailed and deported. You know, self-deportation. Isn't that a Republican idea?

A guest worker program could be installed so that those industries, like factory farms, that cannot function without foreign labor would be able to adjust. Full enforcement would be delayed and instituted in steps so that a minimum disruption to the Mexican and US economies and citizens would result. And since the workers would now be legal, they would have protection from exploitation by unscrupulous bosses, proper taxes and statistics could be collected, and worker protection regulations properly enforced. They could even join legal unions!
This could be done gradually, and with input from the public, so that the legal worker program could be adjusted and modified so it worked
right.

Of course, all this is what would be done if we had a proper immigration policy in place. But we don't, because Republicans have done everything they can to prevent that. And why is that? Because they WANT illegal immigration, it allows them to screw foreign workers and fire Americans who would demand more pay for the same work. And they want illegal aliens because they work hard, are docile, don't cause any trouble for their employers, and...well, you know the drill.
The business community, and their Republican legislators WANT the status quo to remain in place. Besides, crying "illegals" gets the troglodyte voters all fired up and self righteous, because, let's face it, they're not too bright and they are dying for an excuse to stick it to little brown people anyway. Build a wall, amnesty, rapists and murderers, oh my.

OK. So maybe I've got it all wrong. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe it isn't a Republican conspiracy to simultaneously screw the Mexican and American worker and accumulate obscene profits by working around the law of supply and demand. Go ahead, righties. Here's your chance. Tell me where I've got it all wrong. I'm listening.