The issue of illegal immigration in the USA has become a biting factor in the economy. But what is interesting is 'while there is widespread unemployment, employer still complain that they do not have adequate staff' Funny. widespread unemployment but no one to fill vacant positions. The confusion arises in the fact that few people understand the whole thing. Recently, the whole world has practically gone into recession.But one thing is evident. in almost all affected nation, there is something to do with immigration. Talking of USA, the attachment between worsening economy and illegal immigration is simple. Since employers who hire illegal aliens pay them at a low rate, there is consequent drop in taxes based on the level of income.
Some employers of illegal alien are fearful of being caught. This leads them to avoid filling w-2 for their illegal worker. The result is that these people are not given the opportunity to pay taxes while they should.
Since the number of illegal aliens in the United States is so high, there is no way to counter those already present in the USA.In my opinion, only one factor can eliminate the whole issue. An amnesty that allows all those already in USA(who have not been involved in any criminal or terrorism act) to attain the status of resident. By doing so, one thing is for sure. Almost nobody is in USA illegally. This will allow immigration enforcer to easily counter newcomers since all immigration effort will be directed to the borders.
Another thing is that taxes will increase enormously since the new residents will be able to work freely without fear of prosecution. This will help a big deal since the economy will rise from the current underground one to a nation wide system.
Imagine there is budget shortage all because one thing. "the USA economy in the underground is thriving while the 'Legal' wall street is down"

America has a yearly quota of legal immigration, fairly distributed among most of the nations in the world. And the process is relatively easy and efficient. The quota is calculated on the current ability of the U.S. to assimilate a certain number of new immigrants in a practical and effective manner.

Worker program? Good. Path to citizenship? Not so good.

This sounds like a good idea but it could get really bad really fast.

Stark Truth - I think you're responding to something I posted in another selection, but in any case I'll respond here. I didn't hear about the dragging of the American flag, and I would object to that. But I suspect that was the work of a few hotheads and not representative of the demos as a whole which carried many flags both American and Mexican. The objections I've heard was simply that they were carrying Mexican flag which is interpreted as some kind of disloyalty to America, which might make some sense if Mexico was an enemy. I think they probably feel much the same way as Jeane Huston's father as depicted in Farewell to Manzanar when he was asked which country he hoped would win the war. His response "If your mother and father were in a fight, would you want one to kill the other, or would you just want them to stop fighting?" They're not here to take our property or invade our homes. They're here to work. That's what they do. tbonya - our country is partially based on a philosophy, reflected on a statement on the Statue of Liberty, that immigrants, even poor ones, strengthen the country rather than weaken it. Maybe the philosophy is dated, but my family faced similar prejudices when coming from Europe considerably fewer than 400 years ago.

How can you make it any easier? Pres. Bush refuses to inforce current laws and has not strengthened border security for five years.

My only point in suggesting this was that when it takes years to be approved legally and it is so very easy to just waltz on over illegally, which path are these people going to follow? Seems to me that we should make it very difficult to come in illegally and a little easier to come over legal, but then if I knew how to do that I would be a rich man probobly.

So we should install bridges with a gate that only swings on way?

The first immigrants to the US took land from and marginalized the folks who were here already. Every generation of immigrants since then has tried to make it hard on those who came later. First we wanted northern Europeans, but not Southern Europeans. Then we wanted Southern Europeans, but not Irish. Then we wanted Irish, but not Asians. Now we want Asians, but not Mexicans. Sort of a pattern, I think. Here's the rub: our economy wants these folks. Our laws don't. Something has to give. I don't know what the answer is, but I think that the discussion would be a hell of a lot more productive if we skipped this sort of silly rhetoric: "As I've said for years, I question the motives and loyalty of these "immigrants." Looks to me as if they have a love for dear old Mexico. They should stay there if it's so great." Obviously TB is smart enough to know why the vast majority of folks are coming - they come to work, make money, and improve the lots of their families. This is economics at play, folks - nothing more, nothing less. Laws that fly in the face of economic realities don't tend to work very well, and I certainly see a lightening of the immigration restrictions as part of a potential solution.