An immigration crackdown I could get behind

People talk about workers and employers. I think landlords are the biggest part of the problem.

There is nothing magical about immigrants that allows them to live on less than native-born Americans. Their secret is crowding into housing. They will sleep four or five to a room that would house one American. It's a matter of cultural values, and maybe we are big space-hogs that need to learn to share.

However, as of now, these conditions are illegal, and landlords turn a blind eye because it inflates the price people are able to pay for their product. If you crack down on landlords who rent to too many people, they will have to lower rents so that people can afford to live in their units at the actual legal rate of occupancy. You would see less homeless people on the streets almost overnight.

Since the slumlords aren't providing any benefit to anyone but themselves, this makes more sense to me than cracking down on workers or merchants.

Flamesuit on, please comment.

when large developing companies come in a buy out the poor and build million dollar high rises.

... (which is merely peeling some paint) it's entirely reasonable to enforce occupancy limits. Residence occupancy standards are enforced for child custody, foster care, building codes, and rental properties all over the country in one form or another. When laws are enforced according to the political bias of the politicians (and their corporate sponsors), we're on the road to a corporate police state, not a democracy.

When we lived in Paris, France many years ago, the government there limited the number of people who could legally live in a certain space. It was a good idea. Overcrowding overtaxes infrastructure. It should not be allowed.

under most municipal codes.

If 10 people are living in an apartment for 3, and you crackdown on this, then you will have 3 people living in an apartment for 3 and 7 people not living anywhere. Wouldn't this result in MORE homeless people, not less? The only way I can see that this works out is if there are millions of homes that are currently unoccupied because they are too expensive, and they become more affordable (admittedly, I don't have the stats so I don't know if this is the case or not). Even then will the price drop be enough to allow those who are homeless to buy or rent them?

but in time rents would be reduced, or else housing would be built that people can afford (meaning smaller units).

I try to stay out of the immigration debate. I travel the country year round, and believe me there is plenty of room for everyone. There is no shortage of land here. As much as everyone fusses about illegals, they certainly haven't done me any harm, so I could really care less if they are allowed to stay.