Here is what I have witnessed in my life as a former Californian and now Virginian resident about who is to blame for illegal immigration.

I grew up in an affluent area of Los Angeles. 100% of the homes of my friends had domestic workers in them. 99.9% were illegal. That .1% was in my house. My parents sponsored the women who worked for us. She fled El Salvador when the US sponsored terror happened there. She is now retired and collects Social Security after paying into the system her entire adult life. She also became a citizen.

The other workers in the other homes scrambled to make ends meet. They generally have three to four homes they work in. They are paid if they are lucky minimum wage. If they work in the restaurants, they have purchased a Social security # from some American citizen. Many of who don't work a documented job cause they have five or six illegals working under their name and paying into the system.

When I moved here to Virginia, I thought I would not see the same sort of abuse of the system by AMERICANS. I was wrong. I worked for a small cleaning and "landscaping" business. All the cleaning workers were Americans all the landscaping workers except one were illegal. Everyone was paid the same amount. The legal workers of course had their wages taxed, the illegal ones were paid everyday they worked cash. On the books this business looked fine. I was the one doing the books.

When I mentioned to the boss, that he was part of the problem he gave me two excuses I have heard all my life about how one person can rationalize their part in a mess.

"Those men have families to support back in their country", oh yeah the cleaning crew were all women, many single parents but some how they didn't have as much responsibility.

"I am providing people work and trying to get a small business started."

My sincere feeling it if you have a problem with illegals make sure you are not supporting those that hire them. That means, make sure that everything you put in your mouth, everything you put on your back, every service you receive is not provided by or does not profit by an illegal worker. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!

Well don't forget in this wonderful world we live in has taught the fun of "discrimination", which many business owners also have to worry about of they dont hire these people.... we've taught them well

I don't understand - Why do they have to worry if they don't hire illegals?

most of the united states population is to blame

it is all about getting the most for the least

so if an illegal gets them something for 30% less than a citizen gets its it for them

guess where the majority will get it from

now that the problem was permitted to get so far out of control there is not much to be done (hard to stop an avalanche till it runs its course

i relize my solution would upset a lot of people

but imo

the immigration law need to be changed to the cover an illegal the same as the law in their home country would cover an illegal american there

this change in the law should take affect in 90 days from passage

during said 90 days an productive illegal that can prove employment consistency without breaking any laws other than being in the country illegally should get a green card (valid for 24 months)with the condition they become a citizen during those 24 months (getting a ged (which would include a (basic) english class obviously) would suffice as a substitute to going through homeland security schooling seeing as there would obviously be to many for them to handle

and those that do not do said schooling get to go home and do not pass go but do get a parachute and a flight over there homeland (just kidding about the parachute thing but they do get handled as their country would handle an illegal american)

just a thought

but hey

what do i know

If we did not hire them here, there would not be the problem of today.

Responsibility lies with all those who have turned their faces to all the rich hiring illegals, the employers hiring illegals, etc...

This is the very first time I understood what she said and I agree with every word.
WE, actually have no say about BBusiness using Illegal Labor. Our so-called leaders, past to present only care about the pay-offs they can get from special interests to continue breaking the Law.

Excellent question... for starters i don't think there is any one factor to blame.

You have corporate greed. Which, the rich want to get richer, so they high illegals. But more often than that you have businesses that are so regulated they need to do this just to stay affloat.

So, you have overregulation which is a major contributing factor. This places high tax burdens on corporations.

Then you have lifted trade tarrifts.

Then you have our minimum wage combined with expensive benefits packages for employees.

Then you have the extremely high corporate taxes.

This all adds up. To stay affloat some businesses need to high this illegal labor just to stay affloat. So the responsibility ultimately lies with them. But then you have government regulations that aren't friendly to businesses that want to advance, or even remain stable. So this pressures them.

Then you have no border enforcement.

Then you have problems in mexico and the encouragement from the mexican government to migrate to the u.s.

Then you have the U.S. government taking care of these people for the sake of winning votes for public officials.

Then you have Unions driving businesses into the ground from their greed as well. (It's not just the big guys that get greedy.)

This all adds up to immigration disaster.

it is not just the rich that hire them

everyone that uses a product or service that uses them are also hiring them

OMG! I can't believe someone actually said this!

Beware though, this truth is forbiden from being voiced.

Just think, if we get rid of illegals, who would Americans hire next by purchasing ever bigger carts of ever cheaper goods?

Their neighbor small business owner? Doubt it.

Our own ignorant, fat and lazy workers that just look for a reason to sue somebody? Unlikely!

Me says they will hire Chinese. Then they will blame the Chinese for being cheap.

IMO...if you hire illegals KNOWING they are illegal...yep you would be at big fault.

I used to wok for a factory that made use of immigrants. Most were illegal a few were legal. After awhile I noticed some of the immigrants coming to work under different names. I asked about this and apparently the place was aware that these immigrants were only supposed to work for the for 6 months, but they would change thier names after that and continue working.


They would hire full time american citizens but since they didn't pay what the american citizens wanted for hourly wage, the americans never stayed long. I started at 7.00 an hour and was happy with that. I hear people all the time saying they won't work anywhere unless theyre going to make at least 13-14 an hour. They complain that they can't live on less than that. If you have a family you will work for whatever amount you can make to support them.

Until americans (yes I'm an american lol) stop being greedy and start accepting what they can get to start, illegal immigrants will be a mainstay at most businesses.

Who cares who is to blame?

How do we 'fix' it?

Very well said.

As long as Americans actually want to work, there is no problem.

If Americans were equally not as greedy as illegals are, then illegals are actually at disadvantage: they don't have the command of the language, and they have less money left to their disposal, as they have to send some back home.

At the end of the day, americans are spoiled. We want our cake and eat it too. You can't have cheap goods and services on one hand and then expect to make a living wage.

It is a catch 22/20 and it does start at the top with big corporate business. Whose in real power want to make as much as possible in order to do this they look for the cheapest labor force.

Our government has been in bed with and or coddled Corporations. We give the tax breaks ans shelters, but that is not enough they say and the move their businesses off shore.

We the people are brainwashed into thinking that they are right to do such things, cause after all they help to keep our economy afloat.

Well folks look at what is happening now. There is such a thing as ENOUGH!

What ever happened to the notion that there is a price for doing business?

In my opinion it is time for our government to say, if you don't like our rule you will not be allowed to do business in our country regardless of where you hail. Go do all your business in India and then sell your goods and services to the Indians. See how many can afford it, or have actually fallen prey to the endless need to consume.

I can't even find a person to repair my shoes within 25 miles of me because our consumption of cheap shoes have driven that trade out of business.

unless you privately examine every company...you may not always know if they hire illegals. but those that know they are illegal and hire them are guilty...the rich, the business owners, consumers that know, etc

A couple years ago, Tyson Foods in, I believe, Alabama or Georgia, was under investigation. Tyson told the State, either back off or Tyson would move their operation. They backed off and ICE stepped in a short time later. Nothing much came of it.
In, again, I believe, Tyson in the Midwest got raided. That had to be a token give to keep the heat off the rest of the plants.