“On the other hand, we need to overhaul the immigration system so that people from ALL the world who are hard-working and honorable get a fair shake and a timely review for their petition to become Americans.”
Sounds nice on the surface, but how many??? There are easily two or three BILLION who would qualify under your criteria there. We can’t solve the problem of third world poverty with immigration to the US, but we can certainly turn large parts of the US into a third world nation.
We currently allow 950,000 legal immigrants each year, and around 100,000 refugees, PLUS, whatever small amnesty and increase in work visas are allowed in an given year. Some of the versions of the so-called ‘comprehensive’ reform bill would have allowed in four to five million per year.
We all need to stop talking in nice general terms and start talking numbers per year, or Congress will pass something that will cause a flood that will make the current situation look like nothing.
But the key is that anyone petitioning to become an American will be self-supporting and not just a drain on our economy.
I don't care if you're a refugee from Darfur or Venezuela, if you're not going to work and support yourselves and be proud of AMERICA, you're not welcome.
Don't come here to send your money back to your real country and brag about your real country. We are not impressed.
If you're coming here to become AMERICANS, and you're with us, and you're not just supporting your real country, then bienvenidos. Otherwise, adios.