But during the recession, those people did respond to market forces. Illegal immigration slowed and many people who were here did "self deport" as there were no houses to build, no houses to clean, no restaurant customers whose dishes to wash, etc.
Really? If you're going to be unemployed, you'd rather be unemployed in Mexico? The assertion is ridiculous, especially considering that the real risk is crossing the border to regain access into the US when the economy recovers. No one is self-deporting, especially not now that people believe they may be granted amnesty.
The entirety of the illegal/legal immigration debate hinges on the economic epidemic caused by regulators in the US and Mexico, and their unwillingness to treat anything other than the acute symptoms.
