Well, what deal though?

I agree that we do have some obligation... we helped create this problem by electing leaders who left the door so open.

I do not agree that the leverage is equal on both sides to the extent that a deal needs to be made:

If all possibility of finding work were to cease (as in, we suddenly decide to enforce our own laws)
they surely WOULD go home, in great numbers.

But again, we did help to create this situation.
The most important thing in my view is to stop any more influx at this point.

Just a quick observation before I get offline for a little while:

Two things about this situation boil my blood.

1) People speaking of "immigrants" as though it were the same thing to wait your turn, have your TB screening, have your criminal background check, and so forth,
vs. breaking into the country illegally.

2. The Chimperor telling us in his best folksy Texas vernacular that these 'immigrants' are doing the jobs Americans won't do.
Pish.
Fact: Of all the trades that employ illegals, NONE of them has any more than 25% immigrants in their work force.*
Proving that Americans WILL do those jobs.
They just won't do them for less than minimum wage.

The illegals are stealing american jobs, they will work for vastly lower wages than legals or americans. Why would the employers pay more, when they can pay less.

Just imagine how the Native Indians felt when white Europeans started arriving.

Well, there you go -- reflect and learn...
Look at how it worked out for the American Indians !
Lesson: do NOT be easygoing when your home gets invaded.
Still,
There is at least one difference to the extent that the American Indians were not working with a similarly confederated model like we supposedly have and had not unified into a sovereign nation.

Not necessarily.

Our local packing plant - that employs over 1000 people - has a work-force that is 85% Hispanic.

Mexicans will ride, hitch-hike or walk 2,000 miles to work there.
Lazy white folks won't walk across the street to work there.

Same wages. Same benefits.


Now... care to tell me why it's working that way?

Journalist Julia C. Mead, reporting for the New York Times, wrote:Journalists Anna Gorman and Tony Perry, reporting for the Los Angeles Times, wrote:It was also reported:At the time, I was participating in some discussions on the ACLU message board system, and there was an officer there who was familiar with the area, and had this to say about the incident:I wrote back:He responded:Anytime our border security is breached, the perp should be detained and a report made and sent to the Congress. Michael Chertoff should be brought before the Congress and questioned about our security breach, and to make a full accounting of the perp. This should be done for each and every perp that breaches our security. Michael Chertoff would have to take up residency in the committee chambers.

The issue is not how many Hispanics are working in any industry; it is how many illegal immigrants.

The illegal immigrants, the majority of whom come from Mexico and Latin America, do bring the wage down though not by as much as some people think...
they bring it down from 7 to 10% depending on which industry we are discussing.
The principle harm is that when you FLOOD the market with low skilled workers, there is no impetus to keep the wage rising consistent with the cost of living.

To answer your specific question, the reason it works that way at that local plant is that the wages are no doubt very low (for those same reasons).

Learn the high cost of cheap labor:

http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/loc...122001401.html

I do not consider $10.50 per hour - to START - to be very low. Add to that the fact that, after 30 days, employees get a $.50 per hour raise AND full benefits.

That is NOT very low wages!