GP, there are legal channels that this Canadian could have gone through to avoid being an illegal immigrant.
Obtaining a work visa for a job that an American wouldn't do in this instance might not be impossible, of course, I'm no immigration lawyer. I'll ask one the next time I talk to one whether one can get a work visa to be a tampon selector
To be fair, I reviewed the current process, and in general, it's so complex that it is recommended that immigrants employ immigration attorneys.
In any case, the law needs to be reformed, however, the current law, as unjust as it is should be enforced.