So, what is the solution?
Donald Trump has been promoting the idea of deportation, and recent polls support this idea.
But, has anyone thought this through? How would you do it?
It took a long time for us to get 2 million soldiers to Europe in World War II. That was one-tenth the logistical challenge.
A 747 holds 400 people. It would take 50,000 flights to get the job done. There are only 434 747s in the world.
Requisition Icon of the Seas?
Buses? Do I even have to do the math?
Then there are the optics. Rounding up illegals, detaining them, forcing them on flights...there would be thousands of videotaped scenes of despair and anguish, of families being rounded up, and the media would be there every time. Democrats would make hay. People who thought they supported deportation would change their minds.
Deportation doesn't work on a logistical level, and it doesn't work on a political level.
It. Will. Never. Happen.
So, what to do?
Here is a five step plan.
1. Shut down the border. Build a wall. Lean on Mexico. These things aren't hard. The first step is containing the problem and not allowing it to get any bigger.
2. Establish hundreds of regional immigration centers. Anyone here illegally must show up and register within three months. As a country, we need to know who is here and have a way to keep track of them. Those registering will be given some sort of provisional resident alien status. No, they will not be allowed to vote.
3. Anyone caught not registering will be subject to immediate deportation, as will anyone caught breaking our laws.
4. Equally important, any business employing non-registered aliens will be subject to heavy fines. This will give businesses the incentive to pressure their employees to fall in line.
5. Establish a path to citizenship. This would include a citizenship test (in English).
Yes, I know it seems like this rewards illegal behavior, but we're better off if we can make them Americans. Remember, they're not going anywhere. The alternative is to be like France, with a permanent, resentful sub-class of non-French.
It will take time to fully absorb 20 million people, but it can be done—both economically and culturally (ditch multiculturalism and bring back the melting pot).
What Democrats have done to put us in this situation is disgraceful, but that doesn't alter the reality. It is an historic mess, and now it's time to put solutions in place.