New plan for immigration reform:
Open borders for anyone who wants to work here (subject to intense background check for security purposes). No welfare, no government payments or subsidies of any kind. Guest workers would pay property taxes, sales taxes, and income taxes, but not SS or Medicare, since they would receive no benefits from those. They could take advantage of 401K, 529, and similar plans. They must abide by all laws, including minimum wage and other work rules, as well as requirements for auto insurance and such. No separate path to citizenship, although they could apply for citizenship like anyone else, but no threat of deportation. No voting rights, of course.
Re: health care/insurance, they could purchase group or individual insurance, unsubsidized. On the individual market, insurers would have no restrictions re: pre-existing condition bans/costs.
I would agree to this- under three conditions, and one thought:
1. We have to be able to treat these people for public health concerns- i.e., tuberculosis.
2. Their children must be allowed to attend public schools.
3. After a certain period of time (10 years?) they would receive automatic citizenship, so long as they obey these rules and commit no felonies.
My thought, Rich, is that if you make them abide by minimum wage requirements you're still going to have millions of illegals. Minimum wage creates a black market for illegal immigration. It would be better simply to do away with minimum wage, or failing that, to allow illegals to receive less than minimum wage for certain jobs.