The middle ground is to enforce the law, particularly at the employer level, and then illegals would begin to self deport. That's already been demonstrated in Oklahoma and Georgia who toughened state laws, and just as a result of the economic downturn.
This blather about rounding up twelve million illegals is just a cheap scare tactic used by the pro-illegal crowd. That's not necessary. Self-deportation and law enforcement over a few years could accomplish what is needed.
The one trick pony the pro amnesty crowd always trots out. Nailed IT!!
Don’t call me pro-illegal, I am not. I am practical and realistic.
Employer sanctions have been needed forever, that’s fine. Once you scare away the low cost labor and are left with the ones that are deeply into the system and productive citizens, do we then toss up a few internment camps and deport them? How do you want to handle the children? Let’s say we have a Lebanese mother and a Kenyan father and neither country will take the other? Do you want to split them up and ship the kids off with mom? How do you transport them? What about the bills they owe, the mortgages, the jobs that are left vacant, etc.?
This issue is far more complex than simply saying ‘off with their heads’. The more the conservatives stick their head in the sand about it the worse we look.