Tonight, I am going to watch "Fast Food Nation". This movie describes what has occured in the meat packing industry - how the companies recruited undocumented labor in order to bust the unions. The companies are notorious for abusing their undocumented workers - who ironically are now trying to unionize. Wages in this industry have been cut in half over the past 15 years.
Our nation's policies have allowed corporations to pit worker against worker. They have manipulated us into thinking that illegals are our enemy. The real enemy is the corporations and government - who collectively allowed and even ENCOURAGED this problem.
The solution involves shackles and long prison terms. However, the people in those shackles should be wearing Armani suits, not torn clothes purchased from the salvation army to cut meat and pick fruit.
I am opposed to outright amnesty. But, this problem is so complex there will eventually need to be a legalization of millions of undocumented. Some people will call that amnesty, and to be honest in a way it may be.
However, before any type of legalization process should occur we need very strict enforcement - and in my view the majority of the focus should be in the interior and in the workplace. Prison sentences are appropriate for the worst violators of the law - meaning CEOs and management.
We were duped in the 80s. Immigrants got their amnesty, employers continued exploiting the undocumented, and enforcement never materialized. This encouraged more illegal immigration. We can't repeat our past mistakes. This is why enforcement is so important - and a required first step.
We have the "Border Patrol". I think we should create the "Workplace Patrol" who specialize in prosecution of workplace violators. I think the majority of our efforts (and funding) should be focused here.
The Mexican government is also complicit in this mess. I think we should punish them with tarriffs until their response changes. NAFTA has only made things worse for poor people in Mexico.
The way I see it, the undocumented were invited guests. The reason they are invited is because our laws aren't enforced. Employers are free to hire anyone they wish, legal or not. As long as laws aren't enforced, in practical terms they don't exist.
The key now is to make sure all of our guests come through the front door, and that employers who still feed the problem are faced with severe penalties.
The way I see it, these employers are stealing from us. They are stealing our tax dollars - by not contributing their fair share. They are stealing our health - by making tax payer fork over the cash for the health of the workers they attracted illegally. They are stealing our kids education - because the additional students in schools don't have parents paying all the taxes that we pay.
These corporations are the problem. They are no better than thieves. They are stealing money from YOUR pocket. Just indirectly, but ultimately it comes out of YOURS and MY pockets.