Quantum:
David Card and Alan Krueger of Princeton might disagree with you regarding the alleged pernicious effect of a minimum wage increase.
There's a growing number of economists who believe other factors (better-motivated employees, for one) can mitigate the minimal effect a moderate increase in the minimum wage might have on job creation. Or, businesses create/don't create jobs for reasons unrelated to the minimum wage.
No one outside of the Socialist Party USA is talking about raising the minimum wage past $8.50 or so an hour. Therefore, I fail to see why being supportive of a moderate minimum wage is reflective of 'significant ignorance of economics' as you assert.
Finally: "In a Wells Fargo-Gallup poll taken in March, 46 percent of small-business owners said the minimum wage should be increased, and 86 percent said the wage had no effect on them."
http://www.truthout.org/article/economists-raising-minimum-wage-doesnt-cost-jobs
(it appears to be a cut and paste of a Bloomberg article)
Now, as for illegal immigrants depressing wages -- I had been led to believe by conservatives that anything that lowers the end price for consumers was an unmitigated Good Thing (e.g. outsourcing to China) and that those complaining should appreciate that the poor can now afford More Stuff.
Are you arguing that this is not so, or that the external costs of illegal immigration exceed any savings generated from lower wages to illegals? Perhaps, then, there might be external costs generated from shipping our manufacturing capacity overseas?
My own belief is that the proposed cures for illegal immigration all seem worse than the disease. Or, perhaps, you and others believe that 10 million people who have now taken residence within our borders will go meekly into the good night with nary a fuss. Unless, of course, you relish the thought of the Elian Gonzalez photo being replicated dozens of times a month.
http://inplacenews.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/448a07d7cb24f_s.jpg
(It won a Pulitzer Prize)
P.S. Is calling me stupid, ignorant, and ill-informed better when you take 100 words to do so instead of simply saying, 'U R DUMB'?