Furthermore, make it a Federal crime. Let the Feds, not states deal with the problem with their much higher authority.

I thought it already was. If it's not it should be.

Given the other comments for this option (i.e. making it a felony to employ illegal labor) to mitigate the illegal alien problem in the United States, I doubt my comment will be taken enthusiastically; however, when the issue is analyzed fully, punishing employers is basically a red herring. Assuming an efficient labor market, an efficient minimum wage, and a willing/able legal labor force, reasonable (and perhaps existing) penalties should suffice to keep employers from seeking illegal labor at below true market value. In other words (as I've stated in other related comments), employers would prefer legal over illegal labor (all other things being equal). Americans cannot expect to force business to employ at higher than value wages without creating a substantial black-market economy. Only by eliminating the excess mandatory wage and encouraging legal labor to take these jobs (by lowering public assistance and eliminating the entitlement mentality) will this black-market economy become immaterial. The bottom line is that the reason existing penalties are not currently and vigorously enforced (under current conditions) is that these laws are on the books to earn political points for lawmakers simply by putting them there, and while some penalties are needed to avoid abuse (i.e. not a single star), business will ultimately do the right thing if other necessary policies are implemented.

We have a tendency to try to remedy the effects of the problem and not the cause. The cause is people pouring over the border. The effect is that they will work cheaply and businessman hire them. We have no will to stem the flow, so why punish others who are not at fault? This is a bad policy consideration.

Canadasucks - the polices are ALREADY aimed at the employee, and the result is 12 million illegals which the majority seem to think is a bad thing. I happen to disagree, but if I did see illegal immigration as a problem I'd go after the source of the problem - the employers who actively solicit illegal immigration so that they can have a docile cheap workforce for which the INS can be called anytime workers grumble about pay or conditions. There's a lot of money in this, and a real crackdown on employers could end the "problem" tomorrow. You don't have to nail them all, just a few who are shown to have knowlingly or with reckless disregard hired them in large numbers. Nail a few to the wall and the rest will fall in line. Of course, you'll be paying 7 dollars for a head of lettuce, but hey, getting rid of the swarthy folk is the priority, so let's have at it.

Lots of good points, I especially agree with the review by "Andrew Scott." There has to be a lot of looking the other way going on. Personally, some foul things are going on in the business world- downsizing, outsourcing, hiring people we know shouldn't be here. Laws are not being enforced. While I'm sure that most immigrants, legal or otherwise, are just here for the same reasons most people are here- to better their lives and their families', or for the same reasons many came in the past, of course there are some dangerous people sneaking in. Any random or selected population of humans is going to have it's share of whack jobs and criminals. I'm afraid this is the type of thing that has gone on throughout history, and you'll never be able to eradicate it completely, whatever you may try. I don't think they're doing a very good job at it. I don't know about you, but I also find the idea of someone screwing Americans out of their jobs to pay/ exploit someone overseas in a sweatshop morally and ethically incompatible with any faith or value system worth believing in. Or to look the other way and hire illegals because they can pay less. Look, we should provide the ill, the needy, the oppressed, and the poor with food, medicine, and stuff like that. I don't find it particularly virtuous when someone will tell you how deeply religious or spiritual they are and then be uncaring or cruel about the plight of others. The world is a pretty sick, messed up place, regardless of your own beliefs or perspectives. But, something needs to be done, just what it is I don't know. I don't have any solutions to this conundrum. There should be consequences and a definite stand on this issue.

Better yet make it a Federal Offense.

I would submit to the previous poster who asserted that this is essentially a form of "politically correct slavery" that though they are classified as cheap labor, most working immigrants entering the country legally earn these dollars and send them back to their families in Mexico---- where it is of high worth and desperately needed. I have serious reservations with criminalizing businesses for hiring illegal immigrants, as it ultimately presents a number of public policy issues which would likely be detrimental to the American economy. Immigrants are of great benefit to the economy of this nation-- their worth is vastly underestimated. Further, this would in many cases cause a business which may employ a large number of American citizens to collapse which is certainly not a desirable result. The focus now should be on the enforcement of our immigration laws to prevent the continued unrestrained influx of illegal immigrants into this nation and the creation of a guest worker program which will allow those who come here to work to support their families the opportunity to do so legally.

Not a criminal charge, but perhaps enforcing financial penalties would be a disincentive for all the companies currently flouting the law to skimp on payroll costs. Currently, there are 7.2 million unauthorized illegal immigrants employed in the U.S., according to the Pew Hispanic Center. You don't get to fill 7.2 million jobs without legislators choosing to look the other way. Forty percent of illegals have arrived in the last five years. You'd think illegal immigration would have slowed since 9-11-2001, but that's not reality. There should be a legal pathway for immigrants to earn their way here, but now the U.S. is simply rewarding the illegal side of immigration, and for what reason?

This should be done, but I'm concerned about how vigorous it would be enforced. Republicans drag their feet in this area because they don't want to anger business owners. Dems drags their feet because they don't want to anger Hispanic special interest groups and risk losing their votes.

I think this is on the books already, every employee has a social security number which most of your illegals do not have. A fake card only makes things worse.

Terrific idea. . .no documentation? No work. Work is a privilidge, not a right. RARE UPDATE- the moderator brings up excellent logistical issues- perhaps the burden and guilt should be shifted more towards the employee instead of the company.

A guy applies for a job, provides a driver license, social security card, other forms of id, signs the I-9 form and goes to work. Works for about a month. The company employs 250 people total. An ICE investigator discovers, through one of his neighbors blowing him in, that Pete is really Pedro and he's an illegal alien. Who gets the felony charge? The Human Resources Director? His direct supervisor? Head of his department? Owner of the company? Everyone? That seems fair, everyone did their job (except the government) but everybody gets a felony charge on his/her record. Great. Good solution, criminalize the businessman. Are you thinking there are fewer illegal aliens now that all these hard-working Americans are in jail? Let's slow down the speeding train. Our immigration/identity checking/verification system is broken. Our border is porous. Who's the bad guy here? Who's not doing his job? Who is responsible for border security? Who enforces the laws Congress passes?