I am in the middle of immigrating here legally. If you pass a law like that, I might as well throw away all of my paper work, stop paying the immigration fees, stop paying taxes, and jump the fence just like the illegals. The immigration process is here to protect your country from criminals and terrorists entering. Be thankful for it. Many illegals (not all, I know there are some desperate cases that we need to be sensitive to) are here because they couldn't immigrate here legally, they'd never get in because they have criminal records. They don't necessarily want to live here because their country is unfit, they just don't want to go to jail in their country! American criminals often flee to Mexico and Canada...is it so hard to believe that criminals flee here from their countries? They all need to be accounted for, screened and sent home, unless they face extreme hardship at home. The government already has programs in place for people that came here illegally because of hardship and they can apply and stay. I did the right thing coming here legally, and I would hate to see others granted the same privileges by cheating.

My relatives came here legally and worked to gain citizenship.  We now pay for illegal's educations, health care, even offer them "food stamps".  If we STOPPED giving illegal's the benefits of citizenship, maybe they would go home--or BECOME citizens??

Yes the Bush policy of allowing illegals was wrong. So correct it. DEPORT - ALL - NOW
Then create a website for Americians to take there jobs.

Wow!

I'm surprised to see so much ignorance and insensitivity here.

1. I went through the immigration process "legally." It was a nightmare. It must be fixes.

2. "Illegals" are not criminals who are fleeing jail or prosecution in Mexico. All you need to become illegal is enter without a visa or---more common than you think---let your visa run out.

3. Most of the "Illegals" here are fleeing poverty, persecution, oppression, or war. Coincidentally, these are the same things that caused the Irish, Russian, Jewish, Polish, Italian, and other European immigrants of the last century to come to the US. I would have expected some compassion and sensitivity from their descendants.

4. There is a market for labor and it's a free market. The free market (NAFTA) allowed the US to dump food and other cheap products into Mexico, thereby destroying local economies and impoverishing millions of Mexicans. Naturally, they move north in search of work, which they are willing to do for less. Simple free-market logic: immigrants are selling their commodity (labor) for the lowest price. All these Americans who support free markets should stop complaining that immigrants are taking their jobs. America was built by rugged individuals. Stop complaining and start being more rugged. Where's your entrepreneurial spirit?

5. I challenge anyone on here to prove that "illegals" DON'T want to become citizens. Where's the proof? I spent the past 18 years wanting nothing more than to become a citizen and, you know what? It takes just that long to navigate the immigration system. With the threat of arrest and deportation, who can blame immigrants for not wanting to get involved with the system. If I had come to the US just to work and make money, I wouldn't have bothered with the whole naturalization process either. I takes too long, costs too much money, and is far too risky.

I propose a total overhaul of our immigration system. Set up a cut-off point (say 10 or 15 years). Everyone who's been in the US for 10 or 15 years is automatically put on a path to naturalization. This keeps families together, keeps people in their jobs, and allows undocumented workers---who are often subjected to exploitation and abuse---to come out of the shadows and become productive members of American society.