A glorious mess!
I don’t have all the answers but the border / wall or whatever, isn’t the whole solution. I’m curious how many have dealt with immigration in other countries and have some insight into how it’s handled in other western countries. Border security is surely a part of it but there is little deterrent to those who make it through.
I spent a lot of years working around the world and, at times, had to deal with immigration, work permits, and obtaining residency status. I considered taking a position in my company that would have moved my family to a western European country for some years. I ended up declining the move as it was, more or less, a lateral move. I did want to have our kid live abroad for a while for a more realistic view of the world we live in.
From that experience, what was clear was the difference in how citizens of the country were treated vs. non-citizens working there (fully legal and documented). In short, my company had to pay for health care, private school for the kid, and some other things as, even though I would have been there legally and quite gainfully employed (and taxed locally). I would have no access to state healthcare, pension, schools and many other things. (Can’t even stay in a hotel without valid passport and visa - or rent a place) in most other countries. It was clear that if caught in country without a valid visa, etc., you would be removed immediately – without question. That’s what happens in most countries I’ve spent time in and needs to happen here. Without legal status many everyday things simply aren’t available to non-citizens. Until we do some of these things here, the best wall in the world won’t put even a small dent in the problem. For years, illegal immigrants that were convicted of a crime were released to INS immediately for deportation and I do not understand why we protect the criminals among immigrant populations – it’s insane.
Part of an approach would be to make legal immigration more approachable to those that qualify and move quickly to exit those who commit crimes or are not here legally. In companies I’ve owned, been a partner in, or led from C-level jobs (with a few thousand employees), one thing is clear to me: In any group there are good people and bad, respectful people and assholes, conservative / liberal, religious or not, hard-working and lazy, etc. etc. No one group has all the good or bad people. Some of the worst employment issues came from pasty-white people that had been here for generations.
A good chunk of my experience was in some areas where there are significant populations of recent immigrants – Hispanic, Asian, and others. Most are already citizens but I’ve had plenty with green-cards, work visas from various countries, etc. Most all are very responsible people who want to work hard. There are already laws against hiring illegals that have significant penalties, but I don’t think enforcement is where it could be. Most with a job pay taxes, they pay sales taxes just like everyone else, and if they have a place to live either they, or their landlord, pay property taxes so the tax-free myth is largely that. There is a cash economy among some immigrant groups to be fair.
Most of us are descendants of people who came from somewhere else so calling out entire groups is simply ignorant. Just as the idea that a wall with solve it all. When we rewrite the laws can we deport some dipshit citizens that have been here for a few generations?