More Thoughts on Illegal Immigration--Posner

The comments on my post indicate strong feelings and powerful disagreement, mirroring the strong feelings and powerful disagreement in Congress and in the nation as a whole. It should, however, be possible for Congress to work out a compromise along the following lines: 1. By a combination of sticks and carrots, it should be possible to induce the vast majority of illegal immigrants in this country either to step forward, admit their illegal status, regularize it, and thus enter the path to eventual citizenship (without having to leave the country), or depart for good. The only objections to this course that I can see are "unfairness" to would-be immigrants waiting patiently in the immigration queue--and I do not think the interests of foreigners should weigh heavily in U.S. public policy--and the injustice of "rewarding" illegality (the "amnesty" issue). But illegal immigration is not so serious a crime as to demand obeisance to Kant's claim that even if a society were about to dissolve, justice would require that it execute any condemned criminals. I take a more relaxed, pragmatic view of the dictates of legal justice. 2. By a combination of mandatory biometric ID for all people in the United States (a measure that would have independent value in crime control and terrorism prevention) and heavy penalties on employers of illegal immigrants, future illegal immigration could be largely halted without need to build an expensive Berlin Wall between the United States and Mexico. 3. Reform of immigration law and reorganization of the various agencies in the Department of Homeland Security that administer the law would shorten the queue for legal immigrants (and thus alleviate the "fairness" objection to "amnesty"), adjust the supply of immigrants to the demand of American employers, and switch preferential teratment from foreigners who have family connections in the Unied States to foreigners who have valuable skills.

Comments

[Simon]

The only objections to this course that I can see are "unfairness" to would-be immigrants waiting patiently in the immigration queue--and I do not think the interests of foreigners should weigh heavily in U.S. public policyFor the purposes of the present debate, when you say you do not think that the interests of foreigners should carry much weight in determining U.S. immigration policy, are you considering the illegal immigrants currently present in the United States as foreigners? If the illegales are deemed foreigners (as aurely they are), should our policy be formulated in terms of our interests not theirs?

What I can't quite understand is why - in this post and your previous post - it almost seems that you have more respect and concern for the illegales than for those who immigrated legally. I apologize if this inference is incorrect, but that seems the natural inference to draw.

[Hans Gruber]

"He supports increased immigration because this correction of the presently distorted labor market will likely benefit U.S. citizens."

Why is the current wave of illegals without high school educations a "correction of the presently distorted labor market"? As I said in my last post, we need more high school drop outs digging ditches, but we don't need more nurses, computer programmers, engineers, or doctors? How could anybody in their right mind believe such nonsense?

[George Weinbaum]

No amnesty. Period. I opposed the 1986 amnesty believing it would only encourage more illegal aliens. If the best we can do is throw our say, 2 million a year, fine. It will take us six years to deport them all. We do not need illegal aliens here with questionable loyalty to the US. We have enough welfare recipients as it is. Throw them out.

[Anonymous]

مركز تحميل

[Anonymous]

thanks for your post.perhaps you will like ed hardy

[Anonymous]

بنت الزلفي

[Anonymous]

ÿ¥ÿßÿ™ ŸÖÿµÿ±
--
دردشة مصرية

[Anonymous]

Good Day. Challenge is a dragon with a gift in its mouth?Tame the dragon and the gift is yours.
I am from Mauritania and now teach English, please tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "Askville comforter sets community page contains questions, answers and people interested in comforter sets."

With best wishes :D, Clemens.

[Anonymous]

ÿØÿ±ÿØÿ¥ÿ©
___
صور

[Anonymous]

Thank you, you always get to all new and used it
ÿ¥ÿßÿ™

دردشه

[Anonymous]

It is the coolest site, keep so!

[Anonymous]

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.

[Anonymous]

Perfect site, i like it!

[Anonymous]

Perfect site, i like it!

[Anonymous]

Great. Now i can say thank you!

[Anonymous]

Great. Now i can say thank you!

[Anonymous]

دردشة برق

دردشة الخليج

[Anonymous]

Beautiful site!

[Anonymous]

Perfect site, i like it!

[Anonymous]

chvCDH Great. Now i can say thank you!

[Anonymous]

thanks to tell me that,i think thats so usefully----
tiffany
links london

[Anonymous]

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

[Anonymous]

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

[Anonymous]

It is the coolest site, keep so!

[Anonymous]

Great site. Good info.