CarolC, you hit the nail on the head exactly. As I said above, the issues are extremely complex. The bureaucracy for LEGAL immigrants is a huge nightmare. So when it comes to the bureaucracy created when we decided to further criminalize undocumented workers by making them felons, it only exacerbates an already pathetic situation.

People should take note of what the immigrant rights demos are about and asking for: IMMIGRATION REFORM! They just aren't making these draconian "secure the borders" bullshit arguments the right wing nuts are arguing for. Build another Great Wall? I don't fucking think so.

The only way to secure the borders of the US is to streamline the bureaucracy, criminalize those who exploit undocumented workers (rather than creating a HUGE nightmare by creating yet another layer of legal bureaucracy by further criminalizing undocumented workers to felons).

The legal wing of the immigration bureaucracy isn't even functioning! Is everybody ready to start paying A WHOLE LOT MORE TAXES to pay for this "secure the borders" delusion the Republicans are trying to sell us? Because the securing the borders part WILL bankrupt us as a nation, both morally and economically.

I too have family--a Russian sister-in-law and nephew--who we struggled to get into the country (mom & son were separated for over two years), spent a fortune on lawyers, etc. What is criminal is the bureaucracy that does this to families, that requires that only wealthy people be able to afford to legally immigrate to this country. But no one wants to talk about those issues either. Do we only allow people to immigrate here if they can buy their way in?