Jeff-I always appreciate your lucid posts and clear thoughts. I have thought long and hard as well-I agree with you on all points. There is one additional isue, I feel is a major draw for the alien..how we tax. I have long thought coupling the FairTax to this issue would help resolve the porblem, because it either forces the alien to participate in the tax system, by paying the Federal sales tax, or he HAS TO REGISTER to obtain the income exemption refund.
Either way...the tax code is another major issue that has to change and has to be addressed by our pols. In any case, those who come here to immigrate or to work must be involved in the entire process and foot their share.
I certainly agree with your thinking here, although I think one unintended consequence is that the illegal alien lobby would use the fact that they paid taxes (under the FairTax provision) to legitimize their call for social services. It would be a politically challenging to deny them services if indeed they pay taxes.
For me, it's a no brainer. I don't care if they pay taxes or not, illegal means illegal, but the jellyfish in Congress would probably be put under more pressure to give in.
The last thing I'd want to see is the illegal lobby working in solidarity with the democrats in DC decrying "Taxation without Representation". We all know the MSM would jump on that in a microsecond.