[liberallarry]

arrest the businessmen who hire illegals, dry up the money source for the Mexicans, and they'll go away

Working in plain sight

No simple matter.

I'd make language proficiency a pre-requisite for hiring. It can't be faked so the INS job would be much simpler. Of course, illegals would then take the trouble to learn English and would still come here...but they'd be much easier to integrate into our society.

[The Old Hoosier]

I'd make language proficiency a pre-requisite for hiring. It can't be faked so the INS job would be much simpler. Of course, illegals would then take the trouble to learn English and would still come here...but they'd be much easier to integrate into our society.

That's not a bad idea. But the liberals will never allow it. "It's racist."

[WOSG]

"I'd make language proficiency a pre-requisite for hiring. It can't be faked so the INS job would be much simpler. Of course, illegals would then take the trouble to learn English and would still come here...but they'd be much easier to integrate into our society."

If this wasnt coming from liberallarry, ther'd be allegations you were a paleo-euro-centric xenophobe! :-)
It does have the merit though that our illegals would at least be bilingual, which is quite a neat skill, especially in the restaurant biz. :-)

Nevertheless, we dont need to go there to gain control of our labor situation. Check my posts on this topic, I have a number of ideas on fixing immigration. One is a simple matter of verifying documentation and enforcing employer sanctions would try up the market for illegal immigrant labor substantially. What is enraging is that (a) we have a documentation system, (b) it works, (c) it is VOLUNTARY not mandatory. HUH?!?

The illegal aliens are here because we dont enforce the laws that say they cant stay here and cant work here without valid visas. Methods to enforce the law are out there, but the pro-immigration lobbies are too politically powerful that our reps lack the political will to put effort into enforcement.

[warchild9]

Your point is well-taken. In learning a language, one absorbs part of the culture behind that language, I've always found. For instance, I'm currently studying Spanish (mostly so's I can speak to my Cuban in-laws), and the mere act of listening to Spanish music and gawking at those gorgeous women on...er...watching Univision News, I'm gaining new insights into the Latin mind. Much the same thing happened when I studied French in school--learned to ignore the unpleasant aspects of their personalities, and to enjoy French poetry, women, and wine.