And as the Malvo case shows, no one is willing to do that at the INS now, which is why the President has to change its culture by taking the INS out of the decision making process. The Border Patrol should have the say on who gets deported immediately upon apprehension.
And this has been going on for decades. President Bush walked into the mess AFTER it had tipped over the treshold.
When I was a Vista Volunteer in the late sixties I worked with Hispanics who were leaving the migrant worker stream in MILWAUKEE.
As a Christian, I have no animus toward any of my brothers and sisters in Christ. But this country is a life raft, and it can hold only so many refugees before the fabric that keeps it afloat gets punctured and we all sink.
The Hispanic illegals are only part of the illegal population, which includes lots of Asians and Anglos from Canada, Ireland, etc.
I think I'd win your pet if I bet you on the number, but it might not be by a great deal.
The real question is, what are we doing about it? Those of us in California who tried to do something got creamed. I'd like to figure out some kind of practical action group that could maybe do something more than gripe and support people for office like Buchanan or Tancredo who haven't a snowball's chance of ever holding power.
Maybe we could start to drop information and well reasoned opinions into letters to the editor or call in shows and our Congresspeople or whatever. Not just jump up and down and scream, but be calm and concerned about our security as we unload statistics and information, AND realistic solutions that don't sound hateful.