On the other hand, I think the government should throw the book at employers who hire illegal immigrants

Immigration raids Ohio chicken plant

One illegal immigrant on the payroll is an oversight, perhaps. Maybe the documents were convincing forgeries. But 160? That's ridiculous, and Koch Foods should be charged and fined at the very least--and some of their staff should be losing their jobs, too.

As long as such companies make it easy for illegal immigrants to work, they'll continue to come. If we enforced and obeyed the laws as they are written, a lot could be done for illegal immigration. I'm not against illegal immigrants as people. Of course they're trying to make their lives and the lives of their families better. But they don't need to do it illegally, and cutting off the payroll is the best way to prevent it, just like cutting off the supply of drugs makes more impact than arresting a small-time drug user. Obviously, you do both, but I'm just saying the impact is greater higher up the chain. Shutting down or otherwise punishing businesses that hire many illegal immigrants (often for substandard working conditions), makes a greater impact.