Hacker News Reader

Comment by HideousKojima | Hacker News Reader

Or you could just... require proof of citizenship/legal residence for housing, jobs, etc.? No need for Gestapo checking papers.

View on HN

> require proof of citizenship/legal residence for housing, jobs, etc.?

Gestapo comparisons aside, you do understand that this is a significant deviation from the status quo in the US, right? The US can't even agree on a unified federal ID; what makes you think we're anywhere close to accepting a world in which the government is a party to civil matters like leases?

(And to be clear: enforcing this kind of introspection absolutely would require an enforcement agency with unprecedented visibility into the paychecks and housing statuses of every single person in this country.)

Er, this is already the law right? Every job I’ve held in the US, I needed to prove I’m eligible to legally work. Obviously this doesn’t work to resolve the issue at all.

Illegal immigrants have been working small restaurants, ethnic supermarkets etc. since time immemorial, law enforcement has turned a blind eye is all. Now with the rise of gig economy, there are tons of jobs where you never even see your employer, so it’s even easier: there are citizens/permanent residents/others with work permits renting out their gig accounts like Uber Eats to illegals.

Plenty of people work for cash under the table

The Feds know where most illegal aliens live and work, they just don’t do anything about it.

There are many jobs where it isn't enforced.

Some industries, like agriculture or restaurants, rely so heavily on cheap immigrant labor that enforcing this would cause an economic crash and food prices would soar. Other industries will ask prospective employees their SSN, which illegal immigrants don't have. So, which part do you wish to change?

You're saying the only way for America, basically the richest nation in the history of the world, to produce food is to rely on illegally paying and exploiting foreigners? How do all the other less rich countries make food then?

Illegal immigrants have many methods of getting SSNs. Like, it's not even difficult.

I'm saying that it's force massive changes, and, really, increase prices significantly (food is more expensive in Europe for example). Same in restaurants, you'd have far less staff.

It's not impossible but it'd have to go with cultural changes, and have a dire impact on poor people. Just because the US is rich doesn't mean it's working well, just look at healthcare and how costly and unfair it is.

Brilliant idea. Have you heard of Form I-9?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com