[JeffAtlanta]

If they all got thrown on buses tomorrow, what exactly would be te impact on our lives? How many businesses would shut down? How many restaurants would go out of business overnight?

So? How many businesses would shut down if the mafia were eliminated? How many businesses would shut down if the illegal drug trade were shut down?

If businesses can only stay in business by illegal means then do they really need to be in business?

[kenboy]

So? How many businesses would shut down if the mafia were eliminated? How many businesses would shut down if the illegal drug trade were shut down?

Um, a few dozen waste-hauling and construction firms? Some gangs? A bunch of drug rehab centers?

Seriously, though: you're talking about some magical way to remove some unknown number of millions of workers from the economy. It would cause restaurants to close their doors. It would raise the prices of goods and services in pretty much every sector. If a given restaurant that employs (let's say) 15 legal and 5 illegal workers has to shut its doors, we've now put 20 people out of work. You've also cost business to the companies that supply the restaurant with food, to its accountant, to its menu printers -- I'm not disagreeing that illegal immigration is a serious problem, but it seems to me like there's a lot of grand pronouncements being made that don't take the time to reflect on the fact that there would be huge ripple effects if we suddenly deported 12 million people.