I couldn't exist in the current environment.

When I started my career, I was around 20 years old. I was, technically, a high school drop-out. I was white trash by any standard you want to use. But... I had been coding since I was 6 years old. By the time I entered 3rd grade, I was testing at college levels on every metric, math, English (though, I am looser with my use these days, lol), etc. I rarely went to school. I had hacked the school computers, with a bit of social engineering, to ignore my absences and spent the last several years of my school career partying until I finally got caught for something unrelated.

When the tech boom happened (around 1998)... It provided an opening. Companies needed people, anyone who could do the job and all of a sudden they didn't care about college degrees, or criminal background. They just wanted the work done. So I interviewed with a company who based it's entire hiring decision on ability. They tested me, thoroughly, and ignored everything except my competence, and hired me.

I spent the next 15 or so years building a career. I started corporations. I hired employees. I bought properties. I became a "useful" citizen which benefited others.

If I had entered the marketplace today, I would have been told to go flip burgers while someone from India with less skill was hired because he had a clean(not tracked) record, a fake degree from an Indian trade school, and willingness to work for peanuts despite a lack of skill.

So... What about the kids today? Do you want them to flip burgers because we have legal work programs that push them out of the running? Or would you rather force US companies to invest in their own people?