A much longer process as opposed to what? The ten years or so it takes to deport one now?
"A much longer process as opposed to what? The ten years or so it takes to deport one now?"
Most Mexican illegal aliens don't contest. Non-Mexican illegal aliens are usually released on their own recognizance pending a hearing and, predictably, don't show up.
Making illegal status in the U.S. a felony at this point is probably a nonstarter. You would put anyone caught and charged in the position of having nothing to lose by contesting the charges at every step. Once you've become a convicted felon, you cannot get citizenship or even visit the U.S. legally.
Most aliens so charged would choose to go to trial, and would be provided free counsel courtesy of the taxpayers. Our judicial system already relies on plea bargaining to handle most criminal cases.
I would rather see our judicial system used to put away violent felons. While making illegal status in the U.S. a felony might sound nice, it would be yet another unenforced law.