Is a kid who came here as a toddler with a parent a bad apple? Should he/she be punished for the sins of the parent?
Like it or not, if we're serious about fixing immigration we need to address those already here. I have no stomach for a "deportation force" to find and remove all 12 million who merely crossed the border illegally. That's a COLOSSAL waste of resources and tax dollars. Those who should be deported are those who committed real crimes - felonies, drug dealing, etc. And those who are here because their parents brought them here? Why not cut them a break if they've kept their noses clean?
We don't need a "deportation force". What we need is an expulsion of felons and those who overstayed their visas. Follow that with a process that provides a path to legalization (not citizenship), i.e. a worker's visa that isn't open ended. Bring to the front of the line those who are trying to become citizens under existing law.
I lived in El Paso for over 15 years, just a mile from the Rio Grande. It's been a dangerous place to live for decades, thanks to the drug trade and human smuggling. You can see the third world conditions along I-10 near UTEP, and it's easy to understand why parents would do almost anything to give their kids a better life.
By the same token, ditch ESL (English as a Second Language), and go straight immersion language training. You'll save a ton of money, and the students will be better served. I know immersion works. In just two six-week classes at night, my German proficiency grew exponentially.
