Immigration reform is separate from border security reform. Illegal aliens want to confuse that. So are the Democrats and RINOs. They are invaders not immigrants. These politicians are responding to the demands of illegal foreign nationals not American citizens.
Border security requires addressing two things:
1. Enforcement on the border itself.
2. A rational (as Arlen Spectre put it) means of dealing with the 11 - 20 million illegal aliens here already.
I agree with those who say it is not rational to deal with illegal aliens by "rounding them up." It is not rational economically, socially or politically. What is rational and would be highly effective is to enforce the laws we have on American employers who hire illegal foreign nationals. H.R. 4437, while not perfect, has some very good provisions for doing just that. None of the Senate bills do.
Immigration reform should be considered separately from border security reform. Both in public discussion and in legislative process. It should also be considered secondarily to border security reform.
This may come as a surprise to you, but I agree with you about both, except that I think they should indeed be handled together, as a comprehensive bill, as President Bush proposes: Enforce and strengthen borders; provide carefully monitored, legal way for people to come and work, if there are jobs for them here, make sure they are allowed to work, but not allowed to collect welfare; and provide a way people who are already here, to prove themselves worthy of staying and working.
I strongly object that we are sending Cuban refugees, who are true refugees, back to Castro's dictatorship, while people from Mexico just walk across the border and we don't stop them and send them back.
But I agree that it's not feasible to do midnight raids and demand papers to find those living here and deport them, so the only sensible thing is to check them out, and allow them to apply for some sort of legalization.
Implement Prop 187 nationally and the problem fixes itself. No employment, no benefits, no education, urgent care only.