“It’s just not acceptable in America.”
Yes it is.
The word “immigrant” has to be paired with “legal” in every instance. The “illegal” is the ENEMY of the “legal”.
There is a right way and a wrong way to enter and remain in that territory once known as “the United States of America”, and the spirit of America simply disappears in the presence of widespread illegal occupancy.
This country was founded on the continuous stream of people who were born elsewhere, but who chose to emigrate to the United States of America, the “shining city on the hill”, because opportunities were not offered in their own countries, that were held out as an incentive to all in America. But this movement to America requires a very specific social contract. Should you choose to enter America, it is to be of your own free will, and in exchange, certain obligations to accept some very basic requirements in regards to your new neighborhood and your new homeland.
You do not come here to become a burden on your new neighbors. You shall make every effort to become gainfully employed, and not to accept any kind of welfare, particularly from faceless bureaucrats. You shall obey the plainly stated intent of the law, and respect it in your daily life. You shall learn the language of your neighbors, so that you may converse more clearly and with a genuine exchange of information and common courtesy. And having done all this, you are offered the OPPORTUNITY to yourself become an American, an endowment that is so much greater than merely being a visitor here.
There are reasons why the process is so long, drawn-out, and at times so expensive. But to obtain a pearl of great price, it is necessary to rearrange priorities in your personal life, and if this cannot be done, then perhaps you may not be ready to accept the responsibilities of BEING an American.