Here is an interesting idea from Europe. France is offering to pay illegal immigrants about $10,000 to go home. Why don't we try that. If the illegals are really costing us $19,000 per year, estimated to eventually total $500,000 each by the end of their life, we could offer a nice sum to illegals to just go home. Of course we would have to effectively seal the border since many would take the money and leave, but would return after a few weeks.

Response to Comment by Ed,

I tried to respond with a comment, but failed for some reason. The illegal alien cost of $19,000 per year is mentioned a lot in opinion pieces and on talk shows. I have not identified the source. If you google "$19,000 illegal alien cost," you will get a lot of hits, including Congressional testimony. But I have not found the source. Obviously, people who favor amnesty for illegal aliens do not agree with the estimate. Regarding the Dallas Federal Reserve position, I think it is possible that a person could make a contribution to the economy, and still cost taxpayers money. One area of contention between the two sides is consideration of the children of illegal aliens, who are often US citizens. According to an article I read in the Ft. Worth Star Telegram, the majority of babies born in Parkland Hospital in Dallas have illegal alien mothers, who pay nothing. There is some logic in attributing the cost of educating the child to the illegal alien parents. I suspect the $19,000 is an average cost that includes such things as crimes committed by illegal aliens, the cost of incarceration, etc. I don't think anyone suggests that college educated aliens are a drag on taxpayers, but very few of the illegal aliens from Mexico have any education.