[robowombat]

You are correct about the '86 amnesty. It is the model for what shouldn't be done. The only way that the citizenship carrot would be viable is if the borders and ports of entry are rigidly controlled. The citizenship carrot would be a mechanism to integrate some portion of the resident illegals into the US. the reasoning is very pragmatic. Once the borders are controlled the next goal is to whittle down the illegal population inside the US.Having a big population of illegals inside with no way to fully integrate them guarantees a mass of disaffected aliens inside our borders. What is offered is a roadmap to citizenship and its benefits but the illegals will have to stay in a lesser status than legal resident aliens for some period of time (3-5 years) and the clock starts running on resident status counting towards citizenship only after this other period passes. For those who don't avail themselves of this opportunity it would be made clear that if the government finds out what you are there will be a speedy deportation. (This means the anchor baby loophole has to be closed as well.)

Unfortunately implementing any program that has pains and penalties attached will require more dedication to the country's good than the good of politicians pocketbooks or ethnic identity being less important than the welfare of the country. I fear that there isn't any stomach among the political elites to do what has to be done.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

What is offered is a roadmap to citizenship and its benefits but the illegals will have to stay in a lesser status than legal resident aliens for some period of time (3-5 years) and the clock starts running on resident status counting towards citizenship only after this other period passes.

You do realize that if all these illegals are given citizenship closing the border won't matter much since thanks to family chain laws and any guest worker program that's get enacted half that country will be able to immigrate legally. I'm not sure that's in the national interest to allow one country to dominate our immigration system in such a manner. Not to mention it'll no doubt give the democratic party majority rule possibly for decades.