You are probably right about Brett. He is a sharp guy.
We already have a pathway to citizenship- the same one legal immigrants have followed for years.
My idea? If illegals want to become legal, go back home, wait out the penalty period for being legal- 2-5 years for every year you were here illegally, then apply for citizenship like everyone else. You may or may not be approved. If approved, you pay a $2000 fine for every year you were here illegally, maxed out at $20k. All collected monies would go into a trust, and returned to taxpayers in their income taxes. When approved for citizenship, you are on probation for a min. of 3 years, maximum of 7. During that time, any felony crime and conviction is grounds for automatic deportation and put on a forever ‘banned’ list for ever being allowed in the country again.
Forgot to add: Part of your probation period will be *required* English class. If you fail to attend these classes, or do not achieve a passing grade, it will be seen as a violation of the probationary period, and you will be deported permanently. Yes, that means no more picture icons on fast food registers.