ArcaMax

-- Scrap unlawful quotas that require immigration agents to deport about 400,000 illegal immigrants annually;

-- Stop counterproductive efforts to deputize local police to enforce federal immigration law;

-- Create a tamper-proof identification card for all Americans to carry so employers know who is eligible to work;

-- Eliminate the exemption in E-Verify that applies to the No. 1 employer of illegal immigrants: the American household;

-- Repair the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, which bars employers from "knowingly" hiring illegal immigrants, by removing the word "knowingly";

-- Create a "three strikes" law for employers of illegal immigrants: First offense, a warning; second, a $10,000 fine; third, five days in jail;

-- Invest in Mexican states that send immigrants by using tax incentives to encourage U.S. companies to create jobs there so fewer people come here;

-- Parent better by giving our kids chores, requiring after-school and summer jobs, and creating a work ethic so they take jobs from illegal immigrants.

You'll note that much of this involves Americans owning up to what they did -- or didn't do -- that got us into this mess instead of simply blaming immigrants. Which gets us back to where any sensible and realistic stab at immigration reform must begin: honesty.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. His daily podcast, "Navarrette Nation," is available through every podcast app.

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