Illegal immigrants are not law-abiding members of our society. They instead constitute, by definition, a class of criminals that has broken the law to cross our borders. The correct response is mass deportation, not mass legalization (or work permits for that matter...).
The characterization of illegal immigrants as upstanding middle class taxpayers is just plain silly. Crime, social safety net use, driving without automobile insurance and so on is endemic in this criminal class and costs society a tremendous amount.
In our society, with the unemployment rate hovering just under 6% and tends of thousands of jobs lost due to companies who are outsourcing operations overseas, there is no excuse for tolerating the presence of illegal immigrants - even if you decide to call them "guest workers".
Illegal immigrants are not law-abiding members of our society. How would you know? It is quite possible for one's immigration status not to be legal, and yet behave as a completely law-abiding member of society.
In fact many illegal immigrants are more committed to law-abiding behavior because they know any run-in with law may result in deportation.
They instead constitute, by definition, a class of criminals that has broken the law to cross our borders.
Wrong again. Many DID NOT break any law to cross our borders at all, but merely overstayed their visas, work permits or permits to go to school in this country. The correct response is mass deportation, not mass legalization (or work permits for that matter...).
This is stupid, unworkable and would be polical suicide for anyone who attempted to propose such a thing.