Yes, the laws need to be enforced, and if they had been, the Fort Dix group wouldn't have been able to plot. This is not just the fault of the Republicans in Congress, nor of this President. This has been going on for over 25 years, and won't be solved in the next three or four.
But what could be done in those three or four years could be key to solving the problem, IMHO... A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, it's said. What does it say about our current GOP lineup that they don't, as a whole, have the courage even to take that first step?
Well, here’s a drop-dead cinch of a fact:
The problems that have been building up for 25 years, as you accurately point out, won’t be solved by making them worse.
And that is exactly what this legislation will do: make our problems worse.
What too many politicians seem to forget is rule #1 of problem solving:
“When you find yourself in a hole you didn’t want, the first thing you should do is stop digging.”
The GOP legislators, however, confuse “action” with “solutions.” Sometimes, any and all action serves to do nothing but make a bad problem worse, and inaction is better than action.
The President is actively working to make the borders/illegals situation worse so, no, it won't be solved in the next three or four years. Bush is the President NOW, pointing to past presidents is just excuse making.