My ideas are relatively conventional, though have been proved effective when implemented. They consist of removing the draw, erecting barriers, and using .gov interaction with illegals to thin the herd.
Remove the DrawTwo big issues here: unethical employers and the welfare state.
Unethical/Law-Breaking EmployersFastest, easiest and most painless step would be to make
E-Verify mandatory & nation-wide. It is free to use and would eliminate most of the legitimate jobs where the illegal presents bogus papers and the employer ignores repeated letters telling them of a SSN/TIN mismatch. Also, prosecuting those who hire illegals on the books is an easy step. See those SSN/TIN mis-match letters. $1000/illegal/day.
Off-the-books/cash economy illegal alien employment ought to be treated in a manner similar to hunting regulation violations: Fine & forfeiture of the equipment used in furtherance of the violation. Pick up some good Catholic boys in your pickup to swing picks on a trench? Say buh-by to your truck and the tools. Have one of those GCBs running your backhoe? Looks like you can get it back at auction. Similar implementations vs on-the-books employers, but this is the main tool vs off-the-books illegal alien employers.
Welfare StateWelfare for American citizens, only. Congress can pre-empt uppity judges on this one by a vote denying the Sup Court authority here. I would relent only with emergency medical care. As soon as the illegal is stable, they get a free ticket back home and an armed escort. Chronic/long-term care to be done at their country of origin. They can be treated much cheaper (in an absolute sense) back home in any case.
Gov InteractionIllegals interact with various units of gov't all the time. They just don;t do anything about it. Walk into the county hospital with an emergency situation? Get patched up & sent home. Try to enroll your anchor babies in gov't schools? Off they go. Pulled over for their fourth DUI? Back home before they sober up. Traffic cop sees 8 kids in the cab and 4 more in the pickup bed? Send them all back. Apply for food stamps? See ya. Register their auto or try to get a DL? Buh-bye.
Pretty much you WANT them to keep "in the shadows" as much as possible, avoiding contact with .gov types and decent citizens. That way they cost us less and dissuade many for even trying. Whenever nitwits talk about bringing illegals "out of the shadows," I want to smack them.
Barriers to EntryYes, some of it is rough country (I have walked some of the roughest bits), but it is nothing we have not secured for other countries or that the Israelis have not already done.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_and_Egypt_%E2%80%93_Gaza_Strip_barrierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_West_Bank_barrierGoogle some of the gulf states for hints, too.
I did an open-source ROM, referencing the Israeli fences and determined the cost to fence (vehicle & human) the southern border pretty reasonable. I posted the results here for TheRabbi to rail and gnash his teeth against some years back. For some reason or another, the solution that was good for his tribe was not good for us plain old Americans.
Toss in UGS, automated EOIR & RF surveillance along with the commo & power support they need and you are almost there. Already have some UAVs. I would place them in support of ground sensors and ground patrols. The last component is humans and training. Considering how much time our troops already spend in gawdforsaken deserts, sharpening their patrolling, ambushing, raiding, & operations skills along the border is a fine way to keep the border patrolled. Both foot and mounted, with civilian BP LEO accompaniment. Last, a few heli-borne rapid reaction forces (ground RRFs are already assumed).
Other Issues14th AmendmentHere is the section that some think problematic:
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.
Somehow the meaning of the word "and" is lost to some in this case. We understand it when it comes to the family & kin of foreign ambassadors (from whom we withhold American birthright citizenship), but grant it to illiterate peasants.
LegalizationLegalizing many/most drugs will have a beneficial effect, but the big problem with the border is not goods, but people.
Welfare ReformRemove the incentive to loaf and have children folk can not afford. When folk start getting hungry, they will bestir themselves. Also, remove the minimum wage so the less-employable have a way to get on the ladder.
Where to put Them Until DeportationLots of space in the southwest. My suggestion is a "Camp Green Lake" solution with hog wire. (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holes_%28film%29):
* Located in BFE southwest.
* Get the privilege of digging trenches & filling sand bags to build the walls and structures.
* Stick around until deported, not less than a month, so as to disrupt employment opportunities.
* See Arpaio for other amenities