Why doesnt the darn Border Patrol enforce the immigration laws?

I see illegals hanging out all the time and the border patrol does nothing.

It's a question of devoting limited resources to where they will produce the most results (and thus the most promotions for the Border Patrol officers, who are rated according to their job descriptions and priorities).

And to where the political establishment demands it.

Within the Republican establishment, which solely controls America, there are two strands of thought: (1) keeping the USA "pure" by excluding ilegals, and (2) benefiting business and agriculture by letting in a certain amount of labor to keep unskilled wages low (even for American citizens -- anti-Marxism in practice) and to assure enough labor for the farms.

That conflict still hasn't played itself out.

Whatever the government does or doesn't do will have unintended consequences. As the article below says, undocumented Mexicans who used to go home out of season aren't doing that because they are afraid they'll not be able to get back in.

This conundrum is not unique to America. Britain is facing it too. Nobody looks after the welfare of asylum seekers or undocumented workers. See second link below, from the BBC.

What happened to your head dude?

How do you know they are illegal? Do you realise in this touchy-feely, media-freaked society of ours, if BP acted on false information and detained "US citizens," the media would be on them so fast you won't have the time to say "Hey, Border Patrol, they're over here." The government would be embarrassed, BP's power reduced, and soon, before you know it, your local BPs will be jobless, loitering around with the "illegals."

Easiest way to take care of the illegal immigrant problem is to hold the companies that hire them responsible. Criminally, with 20+ year sentences for the executive officers, direct managers, hiring managers, and Human Resource personnel that had anything to do with, or any knowledge of the illegal immigrant working for them. Companies wanting cheap labor is the cause of the immigration problem in the first place. If you get rid of the demand, the supply will dwindle. It would only take a couple of convictions, and noone would ever hire an illegal again. Simple.

It would be neccesary at first and sporadically to randomly audit companies in such a way that even the auditor doesn't know where he's going until he's on his way there...to avoid tip-offs. Catch a few companies, make examples of them, and poof, no more illegals. No reason to come here.

Legalizing drugs and regulating them like alcohol would help with this too...no more black market. Tax the heck out of it, but have it regulated so it's inexpensive...like cigarettes or alcohol. Get rid of the reason for them to come here (illegally of course, not legal residents), and they won't...they'd have no reason.

The bully mentality just doesn't work in any situation. People even got past the Berlin Wall! Find the cause instead of just treating the symptom.

Because US corporations want cheap labour.

The Immigration Border Patrol are not much funded by the US government, so it is becoming Citizen Border Patrol.