I haven't read this whole thread, but on the general topic I think the answers can be found by looking at two basic predicates.

First, there is no question that the borders need to be secured in some way. They are porous, and they always have been. This isn't just true now, it has always been the case. We have every right to expect that others honor our laws with regard to immigration. Securing our borders is not a bad thing, it is the proper thing to do.

Second, it is useless to hold decent folks that are desperate to do well by their families accountable for the fact that it is WE that failed to secure the borders. As citizens of the United States, we created a vision of a land where opportunity was there for all who were willing to embrace hard work. (While this isn't so, IMHO, it is the vision we have presented to the world.) It is easy to sit in the here and now and make pronouncements about lawbreakers and not rewarding them with citizenship. The facts are that this is not a new phenomenon. I wonder how many red blooded, flag waving, self righteous, Americans, if they knew their own background, would discover that an ancestor came over illegally. A great many I would venture. These people came here for the classic reasons that people have come to this country for 150 years. They came because they sought a better life for their children. They came because of opportunity. They have been productive, and they pay taxes. To act as if they are something new that we have to deal with is dishonest.

The plans that I see out there contain what I consider to be the essential elements. They expect folks to embrace the language, pay a fine for having come illegally, wait and demonstrate their desire to be full citizens. I can live with all of that. They expect folks to admit their status, and allow them to do so without fear of being deported. I can live with that. It all boils down to stating that one has a desire to become a US citizen for all that implies and mandates.

With regard to the issue of driving down wages, let me tell you that as a Union Organizer, I will take care of that end. This will actually aid me. Typically if a workforce contains illegal immigrants, I will have a very difficult time organizing them. They are afraid that if they sign a card, they, and their families, will be deported. They become targets for unscrupulous business owners, such as the cleaning service Walmart used, and for exploitation. Once we are on the track and legal, it will become easier to organize them and improve wages and conditions.

I will end in the same way I began. This all is predicated on securing the borders. Until that is done, folks looking to improve their lives will continue to sneak across.

All the best,

Mick