If the border is secure and new technology like DRONES are used (yes Rand doesn’t mind using drones for proper things like surveillance just not killing them!) then hopefully the tide can be stemmed of illegal crossings. Legal immigration and giving more visas out can only happen if there’s jobs for them and businesses need the immigrant. If the immigrant is working and not claiming welfare then he has a good work ethic and I would argue when/if he becomes a citizen is more likely to be a GOP voter after he sees how the Democrat policies work out.
It’s all about numbers. I don’t think we’ll ever win them over so long as the flow is large. We just won’t agree on that I guess.
As to jobs, well, I don’t think immigration policy should necessarily be determined by labor needs. And besides if there is a labor shortage then the market would respond with higher wages and innovation. But putting all of that aside, most visas are not work related today. Family-based visas are the largest category, and they haven’t gone unfilled during the recent recession. If we must have more workers come here from abroad then let’s first end chain migration by restricting family immigration to spouses and minor dependent children. Let’s abolish Ted Kennedy’s 50,000 Diversity Visas we hand out each year via a lottery. Let’s cut back on refugee settlements. Doing all of that would free up plenty of visas for workers.