How should the United States handle illegal immigration?

[Pagan Hungary]

If the Mexican government wasn't so unstable and under the boots of cartels I'm sure they could improve immigration from their side as well; but seems very distant away in the likeliness of that happening.

[Enadail]

If the Mexican government wasn't so unstable and under the boots of cartels I'm sure they could improve immigration from their side as well; but seems very distant away in the likeliness of that happening.

Of course, the US's hand in helping that become the case should be ignored.

[Pagan Hungary]

If the Mexican government wasn't so unstable and under the boots of cartels I'm sure they could improve immigration from their side as well; but seems very distant away in the likeliness of that happening.

Of course, the US's hand in helping that become the case should be ignored.

I am aware that the US is the main cause for this whole issue happening, I never even suggested their part of it to be ignored. The issue is too many people from all of Latin America gather at Mexico at an attempt to enter the US. The US can keep kicking immigrants out but there's always going to be others sneaking in, Mexico does have some responsibility as it is their border as well.

[The Grey Wolf]

Firing squad.

[Benomia]

Well, because you are just another brick in the wall, I'll go with a mile-high wall of immigrants to keep new ones out.

^This.

[Farnhamia]

Well, because you are just another brick in the wall, I'll go with a mile-high wall of immigrants to keep new ones out.

^This.

A mile-high wall made out of immigrants?

[Benomia]

^This.

A mile-high wall made out of immigrants?

Nah, I was just supporting Pink Floyd.

[Enadail]

Of course, the US's hand in helping that become the case should be ignored.

I am aware that the US is the main cause for this whole issue happening, I never even suggested their part of it to be ignored. The issue is too many people from all of Latin America gather at Mexico at an attempt to enter the US. The US can keep kicking immigrants out but there's always going to be others sneaking in, Mexico does have some responsibility as it is their border as well.

Sorry, I didn't mean you were ignoring the issue. I meant that most Americans like to pretend America had no role in creating the undocumented immigration issue.

[Farnhamia]

A mile-high wall made out of immigrants?

Nah, I was just supporting Pink Floyd.

Right. Carry on.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

Why are immigration violators less human then murderers or rapists?

Not less human, but just as bad in my book.

Please do tell me more about your blatant hypocrisy in this post.

[Bombadil]

The Urban Institute estimates "between 65,000 and 75,000 undocumented Canadians currently live in the United States."

Off with their heads..

[Sheltopolis]

Damn Mexicans. Takin our jobs.

[Andarro]

The Border Patrol should be placed at both the Northern and Southern borders, there should be a electrified razor wire fence and a secondary electrified fence, national guard should be stationed close by and patrolling the border along with the border patrol.

All persons who trespass into the United States, should be arrested, sent to jail for 2 years and then deported.

[Frisivisia]

Please do tell me more about your blatant hypocrisy in this post.

Please tell more more about you being a blatant douchebag.

Flaming is not looked upon positively here.

[Luveria]

The Border Patrol should be placed at both the Northern and Southern borders, there should be a electrified razor wire fence and a secondary electrified fence, national guard should be stationed close by and patrolling the border along with the border patrol.

All persons who trespass into the United States, should be arrested, sent to jail for 2 years and then deported.

Electrified fences are a great way to increase the cost significantly without any real benefit.

[Frisivisia]

Flaming is not looked upon positively here.

Ah, summertime.

[Luveria]

Firing squad.

Death penalty for any and all illegal immigrants? A country with the death penalty abolished in most states yet you want the death penalty standard for illegal immigration.

[New Finnland]

I believe illegal immigration has become such a major issue that we should send the army to work alongside the border patrol.

And also increasing the border patrol budget by threefold.

That being said, we should also build and maintain a large, Berlin-like wall as explained at the beginning of this thread.

[Luveria]

I believe illegal immigration has become such a major issue that we should send the army to work alongside the border patrol.

Or the National Guard.

And also increasing the border patrol budget by threefold.

That would be easy to afford it was taken from the next military budget increase.

That being said, we should also build and maintain a large, Berlin-like wall as explained at the beginning of this thread.

I'm surprised by how cost-efficient that would be.

Build something like the Berlin Wall across the entire USA/Mexico border.

The Berlin wall - 1/28th the length of the American/ Mexican border - cost just shy of two billion DDR Mark to construct, and had annual maintenance- and guarding costs of some 500 mio DDR Mark. Another 400 mio DDR Mark were needed for its 'Upgrade' in the late 1980s.

It is difficult to determine how much a DDR Mark was worth in US dollar on account of it not being traded on the financial markets, and assorted consumer goods being heavily subsidised by the DDR government, not to mention that the DDR Mark took a deep dive towards the end of the 1980s (Black market). For the 1960s, however, the ratio appears to have been roughly 1 DM : 4 DDR M, and 1 USD : 4 DM.

Inflation has resulted in a US dollar in 1965 being worth upwards of six times its 2013 purchasing value.

So:

28 x 2000000000 / 16 x 6 = 21 billion US dollar construction costs and

500000000 / 16 x 6 = 187.5 million US dollar annual maintenance and guarding pricetag

That's a one-time cost of 0.6% the US' Federal budget, and and annual cost of 0.005% the United States' Federal budget.

Hm. Not actually that bad. Go right ahead, I say.

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Flaming is not looked upon positively here.

*** Warned *** for the flaming, and baiting. You may not give a shit. We do.

[Farnhamia]

The Border Patrol should be placed at both the Northern and Southern borders, there should be a electrified razor wire fence and a secondary electrified fence, national guard should be stationed close by and patrolling the border along with the border patrol.

All persons who trespass into the United States, should be arrested, sent to jail for 2 years and then deported.

Oh, sure, let's turn the country into an armed camp. Just one question, you do realize that the National Guard is a state-level organization, right? And that most of the people serving in it do so on a part-time basis? It is not part of the Army unless called to Federal service by the President. It's amazing how prescient Mr. Mencken was when he said that for every complex problem there is a solution that is simple, elegant and wrong.

[Ifreann]

So violate human rights and spend a ton of money for what gain?

They came here illegally, they shouldn't have any rights to begin with IMO.

Your opinion is contrary to the US Constitution. Guess which matters more to people's rights in the US.

---

No, of course not. The illegal immigrants, and the illegal immigrants only, shouldn't have any rights. If you're gonna emigrate then you're either gonna do it legally or not at all.

Why are immigration violators less human then murderers or rapists?

Being in the US illegally isn't even a crime.

---

Apparently the immigration bill now struggling through Congress would cut the deficit by nearly $1 trillion. That's "trillion" with a "trill." You get $197 billion in the first ten years as millions of people become citizens and the rest in the years up to 2033. The story is here. Of course, Dear Speaker Boehner says he won't bring the bill to the House floor for a vote unless a majority of Republicans support it. Naturally.

Cutting the deficit? Doesn't sound like something the party of fiscal responsibility would be interested in.

[Khadgar]

Apparently the immigration bill now struggling through Congress would cut the deficit by nearly $1 trillion. That's "trillion" with a "trill." You get $197 billion in the first ten years as millions of people become citizens and the rest in the years up to 2033. The story is here. Of course, Dear Speaker Boehner says he won't bring the bill to the House floor for a vote unless a majority of Republicans support it. Naturally.

Cutting the deficit? Doesn't sound like something the party of fiscal responsibility would be interested in.

Let them continue to stonewall. Demographics are going to bite them in the ass because they're too thick to realize it's coming.

[Big Jim P]

Being in the US illegally isn't even a crime.

By definition, it IS, thus the "Illegally" part.

[Ifreann]

Being in the US illegally isn't even a crime.

By definition, it IS, thus the "Illegally" part.

Not everything that is against the law is a crime.