[Don Joe]

Illegals should not necessarily be felons. Felonies are for people who kill and rape. If they kill or rape, then so be it.

Really? Homicide and rape, and that's IT?

Nothing about grand larceny, for instance?

Someone can suck down fifty grand, and it's OK with you for it to remain a misdemeanor?

I don't think that's gonna fly with Joe Sixpack. Or Don Joepack, for that matter. :)

And say, isn't that the amount that I've heard reported as being the avg. cost that each criminal alien sucks out of the economy?

[Halgr]

First Question that comes to mind is - Where are we going to put these people....aren't our jails and prisons overflowing at it is?

Other than that, if there are indeed 11 million illegals in this country...how does the INS deal with that number?

Yes I want border security and yes deport all the illegals and make the employers pay via either jail time or large fines.

But still the tactical issues here are huge!!!

[Sender]

I see your point but still the felony charge is ridiculous. You want an immigration bill that finally will close the border? It won't contain that. The politicians will never pass it because it will be unenforceable in all practical terms. We're talking about 20 million felons, lots of them children. You gonna put them all in jail (which is already overcrowded), build new childrens' jails and wait for 20 million court cases over the next century?

Whatever legislation we pass needs to:
1- close the border now.
2- make jobs impossible to get without real ID.
3- make benefits impossible to get without real ID.
4- make hiring illegals more expensive than hiring Americans (hefty fines).
5- provide an expedited, streamlined deportation process.