Would you consider the exploitation of illegal immigrants akin to modern slavery?
457569
well there is a major difference,.african slaves were forced from their homeland and brought here in the bottom of ships. they had no choice in the matter. these immigrants are paid poorly.. i agree.. but slaves who were beaten ..recieved no money.. its a lot easier to cross back over  fence if you dislike it here.. than to find a boat to go back to africa... the same for european slaves. no way out for the indentured servants..   i do agree they are taken advantage of.. and shame on the people who prey on the misfortune of thoseseeking a better life.  but things have to be done properly.. and you cant just come into this country illegally and expect a welcome mate
307963
I think that the people that hire them should be held accountable for it. There should be jail and a large enough fine that it would be worth their time to hire ILLEGALS. That is the magic word here illegal.
387349
Yes, you'd like to think of them as criminals rather than just people looking for any kind of work.  I'm sure it makes your racism that much more comfortable.
584050
the illegal immigrant, they provide cheap labor
980566
The answer is simple.  Give heavy fines to those employers who  violate our law by hiring illegal workers.  If there were no jobs, there would be no illegals. This is not done because it does not serve the corporations who profit from this and the destruction of our lower and middle classes.  Illegals are slaves who will work for less and without benefits, something corporations make huge profits from.  Follow the money.  You might ask why our laws are not enforced, but rather we are led to debate an army and Berlin type wall on the border?
1058241
For decades, the United States has pursued a de facto policy of exploiting and abusing immigrant labor, mostly from Mexico. It is hypocritical and un-American. \n\nWhile many of us (especially those of us who are middle-class or wealthy) enjoy the benefits of low-cost labor, we have been unwilling to pass laws that make it easier for those laborers to get green cards or guest-worker visas. (If they achieved legal status, they might be unwilling to do unpleasant work for substandard wages.) \n\nNor have elected officials been willing to crack down on the businesses that hire illegal labor. Indeed, one of the reasons for our bipolar policy is that business interests pressure politicians to look the other way so they can continue to exploit cheap labor. \n\nMr. Bush's instincts on immigration tend to be progressive and forward-thinking. He told the American Society of Newspaper Editors on Thursday that he supports a policy that would put together "willing workers" and "willing employers." He also acknowledged that the backlash against immigration "encourages nativism and behavior that doesn't represent the way America should view the world." This is where racists, like many on answer.yahoo.com come in...\n\nIf business owners weren't so eager to hire undocumented workers, the workers would be less likely to run the risk of crossing the border illegally. \n\nThat is what should be done to end the problem.
143610
U.S. "legalized" slavery may have ended in 1861, but please do not let us fool ourselves -- slavery, in many forms, still exists today . . . and I'm not talking "slave to my job" kind either.    :-(
717332
The Enchanted Fairy is right!\nNow let's hope INS goes to a couple of these big protests and rounds up a bunch of these illegal scumbags!\n\nWe could make a big dent in the illegal population by enforcing the labor laws and giving HUGE fines to both the illegal worker and the company that hired them. After awhile it would become cheaper for those companies to pay better wages to Americans, than to hire the illegals!
655821
Yes, I believe that is the answer to the illegal problem, go after the employer, arrest the people that do the hiring and put them in jail, make the company's pay a huge fine per illegal, that would get the message out to the employers that it will not be tolerated. \n\nNO WORK = NO JOB = NO MONEY = NO REASON TO BE HERE.
314961
It´s a lovely idea, but doesn´t sound like anything the current US administration would go for.  After all, while hyping the immigration issue in the media and, frankly, whipping up racism, they are also quite happy to turn a blind eye to US businesses using cheap illegal labour. It´s happening in all western countries at the moment.  The media, backed by the government, incites its citizens to be worried about illegal immigration, while the economy actually benefits from the black market economy working with it. I´m in Mexico now on holiday, but staying with family.  It´s a hard place, with a bad atmosphere.  It definitely needs some help, but everyone here says the corruption is so far reaching, there is no hope.  Your idea is nice but too socialist for anyone in today´s political arena and, like Iraq, would require serious investment, commitment and integrity..... never forget it´s all about the money.
591440
Yes, illegal immigration is a crime, which makes it sinful (doesn't the bible tell us to obey those who have rule over us?) and any sin pleases satan.  To keep in the biblical theme here....\n\n5,000 years ago Moses said, "Pick up your shovel, pack your ass, mount your camel and I shall lead you to the Promised Land."\n\n200-plus years ago, George Washington said, "Get off your ass, use your shovel, clear the land, grow plants for Camels and it will be the promised land." \n\nLast week the Congress of the United States said "Si, Amigos, throw away your shovel, sit on your ass, light your Camels. We're giving you the promised land."
535532
I certainly wouldn't.  If the companies that are currently depending on illegal labor are unable to make it work with legal and close up, there will be someone there to take up the slack and expand their operation to cover the difference.\n\nGood question!
300305
absolutely slavery exists even here in america.  it's not outright like it used to be when black people were corralled like cattle but don't you hear all the stories of the rings being busted here in the us.  mostly in the us it is sex slaves but around the world people are worked like slaves all their lives it's not something americans like to hear so lots of times we don't hear about it but with a little bit of digging you can find it.
433434
No, I don't think there's any correlation.  The type of work that illegal immigrants do, precludes having a lifestyle that includes drugs.  Once an affront to your civil liberties is taken away, and we continue like sheep to comply, it's never given back.
604309
It practically is already. The existence of an underground labor force insures an underclass of victims and is contradictory to the doctrine of assimilation designed to integrate them into the workforce. See today's Washington Post Link.
502857
DEFINITELY YES!!!!!! THIS should have been done YEARS ago, before we had twenty MILLION or more of them here!!! Our country HAS BEEN INVDED BY ILLEGALS, and they should be TREATED AS SUCH!!!!!! INVADERS!! We are at WAR!! We have been and ARE being, INVADED by a third-world country, WITH the ENCOURAGMENT of THEIR worthless government!!!! I say do WHATEVER it takes to stop them!!!
637081
Although I like your question, most of those jobs go through more of a rigorous screening and background check than, say, a day laborer.  An "illegal" is just trying to make ends meet, just like the rest of us. I would welcome more people in the world with a higher education, regardless of ethnicity, or how they arrived to where they live.\nBut it is true to note that if this did happen, more politicians and upper-middle class folks would be more forceful in solving the problem. As it is now, they rather illegal immigrants do the hard work because legal employees have more rights, and expect more money, and in essence, seem lazier.