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But more importantly that 12 million is a straw man's argument, as Thomas Sowell put it so succinctly here:
"Yet another insult to our intelligence is saying that, since we cannot find and deport 12 million people, the only choice left is to find some way to make them legal.

Two points, First it is not 12 million, but closer to 20 million. Second, as much as I like Thomas Sowell, there are several good reasons, not simply because we would never be able to round up 20 million assimilated immigrants. First, it would take a police state effort and Americans simply don't want that. Second, it will be akin to body count in Vietnam. We will go after the low hanging fruit first, meaning those who are actually here working with families, not the drug runners, gang members and others engaging in illegal operations. Third, without a carrot and stick approach, we will simply drive more of them underground, since they effectively have nothing to go home to. Fourth, the churches will provide safe haven should we make any kind of a large scale effort at catching and deporting. Fifth, the court system will have to be enlarged dramatically to handle 20 million cases even over 20 to 30 years. Sixth, many communities will simply refuse to cooperate with this effort. Thunderstorm. More later.

Continuing. Seventh, any massive effort will take critical resources away from Homeland Security/WOT efforts with the Country, instead going after working immigrants posing no threat. Eighth, if documentation past the SSN card and I-9 will be required, it must be part of a major package of legislation by Congress. If employers will be required to ensure that an employee is legal other than a SSN card and I-9, courts likely will reject them doing the government's work for it. Finally, without border security and other enforcement tools, this will never be done. To get them, a comprehensive package must be agreed upon, and that requires negotiation which so far, the Republicans have refused to do. I cannot but believe that most voters will see this recalcitrance to engage in meaninful legislation in place of Terri Schiavo, flag and marriage amendments and other sense of Congress items having nothing to do with what they were elected to do.

"Two points, First it is not 12 million, but closer to 20 million."

They are estimates.
No one has exact figures.
But more than that, the point still remains, 12 million or 20 million.

"not simply because we would never be able to round up 20 million assimilated immigrants. "

We don't have to. It's the normal straw man's argument.
It's not a matter of rounding up 12/20 million or not rounding up anyone at all.
You guys keep coming up with that nonsense.
Look we never catch everyone who commits murder or robbery in this country.
That doesn't mean we have just stopped trying to arrest them because we can't catch all of them, does it?

"First, it would take a police state effort and Americans simply don't want that. "

Police state?
When did arresting people who shouldn't be in a country at all, and who have broken our laws, constitute that country becoming a "police state"?
Where do you Mexicans keep coming up with this nonsense anyways? Why don't you tell that to the Mexican government that continues to terrorize illegal Guatemalan immigrants to Mexico?

"Second, it will be akin to body count in Vietnam. "

Huh?
Vietnam eh?
/sarc on You mean like how Iraq is another Vietnam? /sarc off

"We will go after the low hanging fruit first, meaning those who are actually here working with families, not the drug runners, gang members and others engaging in illegal operations"

You are really clutching at straws ain't ya?
Low hanging fruit?
Listen, right now a greater percentage of criminal illegal immigrant drug runners, gang members etc, are being deported than illegal immigrants in general.
When the right enforcement regime is instituted (harsh crackdown on employers of illegals, tough deportation regime, secure borders etc), all illegals are going to be affected, drug dealers or not.

"Third, without a carrot and stick approach, we will simply drive more of them underground, since they effectively have nothing to go home to."

Nonsense.
President Eisenhower instigated a strong enforcement regime, and managed to deport most of the Mexicans back where they came from.
These illegals are not exactly "underground" are they, when they keep demonstrating in full view of the public, and have the temerity to carry American flags upside down to boot.

"Fourth, the churches will provide safe haven should we make any kind of a large scale effort at catching and deporting"

Churches have room for 12 million?
Or according to you 20 million people?
Where are all those churches at?
And I can tell you one thing, my church is not going in for that BS.
We'd chase the priest off if he pulled such a stupid stunt.
You seem to be forgetting that most church goers in this country are Evangelical Christians who are strongly conservative, and strongly FOR enforcement of our immigration laws.
The Republican Party gets most of the Evangelical Christian vote.
Best luck to you finding churches to hold your 20 million illegals.

"Fifth, the court system will have to be enlarged dramatically to handle 20 million cases even over 20 to 30 years."

Nope.
We have been deporting illegals everyday without going through any court systems.
All they have to do is stop that moronic catch and release policy they have been allowing to happen, which the President claims he is stoppingin his speech the other time.

"Sixth, many communities will simply refuse to cooperate with this effort"

You have not been listening to the news recently.

Every week, another city, town, state, county enacts new, tougher anti-illegal immigrant laws.
One police chief was on TV Friday, who is busy arresting every illegal immigrant he could get hold of, and sending them all the way to th Mexican border, because the INS people have not been doing their job.

The illegal invaders of this country are going to have to be sent home or made to go home, one way or another, and the border secured.