Illegal Immigration

Solution

   First, the nation needs to adopt an automated interview system required by the Department of Labor (c.f. Worker's Civil Rights). Immigrants enter the country for the jobs so anything related to the job hiring process is  relevant to the situation.

   How the automated interview system would be effective is two-fold: (1) the national registry of employment provides an accurate number of job openings that are needed for determining how many work visas should be granted in a given year, and (2) the automated employment system will ensure businesses will be unable to hire foreign workers that are undocumented or have expired/invalid work visas by automatically denying their applications.

   By using the new system, the number of foreign immigrants admitted into the country, by asylum or otherwise, won't overwhelm the total number of job openings that are available. This is important because it will prevent a large number of immigrants from entering the country without first knowing if there are actually jobs for them (especially when considering that some are uneducated, unskilled, or not fluent in English).

   In addition to the automated interview system, another measure that may be useful in preventing illegal border crossings is the manner of how work visas are granted to immigrants. An improved procedure would mandate that the applicant is first required to apply for the visa at their local government office (in person). This is necessary to verify the applicant's identification, criminal background, and other criteria for employment and ensures that the number of immigrants won't overwhelm the job opportunities for them.

   Only after being granted a valid work visa may the immigrant be allowed to apply for employment on the Labor Dept.'s automated system and if accepted for a job, entry into the country.

   So, the new process is: (1) national registry of employment determines the total number of jobs that foreign immigrants are needed to fulfill, (2) cooperation between nations for in-person visa registrations verifies backgrounds and prevents border crossings since the applicant has to apply for a visa in their native country, (3) automated interview system prescreens foreign workers if granted valid work visas and skill base prior to consideration for employment, and (4) if accepted for a job, immigrants may enter the country legally.

   Asylum requests are likewise handled in the same manner and restricted to the number of job openings that are available for foreign workers. Otherwise, the situation would not be any different than today where immigrants are permitted into the country without first verifying their actual need or employment opportunity (education/skill set), which won't help their situation.

   Overall, a federally-mandated automated employment system will help prevent illegal border crossings into this country, while at the same time, be fair and just to all immigrants who wish to become American citizens.