Originally Posted by ijusluvit

Also, how about a procedure whereby all illegals who reported themselves would be given a period (maybe seven years) to serve in the military or do two years of national service. They would have to remain free of criminal convictions. Foreign students and technicians could stay if they got and kept a job, but it would be at apprentice pay for at least 3-4 years. Employers would be allowed to hire these more skilled workers at lower pay, which would be their incentive to do so. Farmers who receive crop subsidies would be allowed to hire illegals at a specific minimum wage in lieu of full subsidy payments. Domestics and other unskilled workers could be hired at wages below the national minimum, but a tax would have to be paid by their employers to make up the difference between the paid wage and a "competitive" wage, so that citizens would not be closed out in these employment areas. So as an example, in a specific state or region, illegals could be hired for domestic work at the rate of perhaps $7 per hour, but the employer would have to pay a tax of perhaps $3 per hour since the job had a 'market value' of $10 per hour. In all cases, illegals could be eligible or citizenship after a successful probationary period of maybe 5-7 years.
I'm getting so "out of the box" here that I'm even thinking qualifying for citizenship could be partially or fully retroactive for those who met conditions like the above. But those who worked for employers who paid lower than minimum wage would have to obtain a sponsor who would pay the tax which was never collected. This tax could be paid without the source being made public, which would protect employers from prosecution for violating the previous laws against hiring illegals.


Yes, this is a perfect Republican plan: Pay the foreign workers less money than Americans. Tax the employer for hiring the foreign workers. The foreign worker would have to find sponsor to pay taxes for them - and the employers would not have to worry about prosecution for violating employment laws. More taxes on the business owner and avoiding penalty for breaking the law.