We gave an amnesty and fastrack to citizenship to 2.5 million people a number of years ago. All we have today is 2.5 million more illegal immigrants. (The numbers may be off, but in the ballpark)
This approach does not work.
I have no problem with simpler procedure for citizenship - but I have probelms with another amnesty.
I dont care why or how someone came here illegally. The fact is, it was illegal. We have to control the borders. Plain and simple. I dont claim to know the best way to do this, but the issue is about much more then Illegal Immigration - its about the security of the US. If untrained mexicans can just walk across, what does a trained terrorist have stopping him? Nothing.
We need much more border security. Use the military. Take bases in Missouri and Kansas and other inland states and relocate them to the border areas. USE what we already have more efficiently.
As far as the current illegal immigrants - I think the penalties need to be stepped up.
Caught here illegally? Then you should never be able to become a citizen. Maybe prison time for repeat offenders, prison time at hard labor. Have them build the wall to keep them out. I dont care, mexican, irish, italian, canadian, all of them. Illegal is Illegal. All should be treated the same, but there needs to be deterrants.
Yes, we need to get the other side as well. Businesses have to be dealt with also. Businesses that hire illegal immigrants need to be aggresively dealt with. Make it painful and enforce the laws.
Oh, and before anyone says it. Yes, my ancestors were immigrants also. I have no problem with immigrants. But my ancestors did a few things different. They came here LEGALLY - they LEARNED THE LANGUAGE - and they OBEYED THE LAWS.
Some dont really think about this. But most illegal immigrants dont pay the taxes they should as a worker. They claim 10 dependants and get -0- fed or state tax held. They are stuck paying for SS taxes, but thats it.