If people who would blow up airplanes aren't criminals then it's hard to call anyone else a criminal either... Is that the theory?

How about then if we adopt an immigration system of laws and expectations and requirements modeled on what Mexico uses for their immigrants?

That would be fair... wouldn't it? Works for me.
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If you want to see a reasonable immigration policy, look to Mexico. You automatically get a ninety-day tourist visa when you land. No border Nazis. To get residency papers, you need two things (apart from photographs, passport, etc.) First, a valid tourist visa to show that you entered the country legally. Mexico doesn’t do illegal aliens. Second, a demonstrable income of $1000 a month. You are welcome to live in Mexico, but you are going to pay your own way. Sounds reasonable to me.

You want a Mexican passport? Mexico allows dual citizenship. You (usually) have to be a resident for five years before applying. You also have to speak Spanish. It’s the national language. What sense does it make to have citizens who can’t talk to anybody?

source: http://www.fredoneverything.net/TacImmigration.shtml

Per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Unemployment Report of Jan. 8, 2010:

Construction and extraction occupations = 22.5% Unemployment
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations = 21.8% Unemployment
Production occupations = 14.7% Unemployment
Transportation, material moving occupations = 12.2% Unemployment
Service occupations = 10.2% Unemployment

Total US Unemployed Citizens and Legal Residents = 15,267,000
The figures above exclude 6,306,000 Persons who want a job but are not included for various reasons.
Total Number of Americans Looking for Work = 21,573,000

Pew Study estimate of working Illegal Immigrants = 7,500,000
The majority work in agriculture, office and house cleaning, construction, and food preparation. Only in Agriculture does the number of working Illegal Immigrants exceed the number of unemployed Americans.

Meanwhile Management, professional, and related occupations = 4.6% Unemployment

This data shows how much Illegal Immigration has devastated US labor markets. Where is the outrage for the 7.5 million Citizens and Legal Residents who could be working but cannot find a job thanks to Illegal Immigrants? They have children and spouses. Why does no one supporting Illegal Immigrants seem to care about all these American families being ripped apart by unemployment?

Mexico’s Immigration Law, as characterized by the article ‘Let's Try It Here at Home’ written by J. Michael Waller on May 8, 2006 operates as follows: “Mexico, which annually deports more illegal aliens than the United States does, has much to teach us about how it handles the immigration issue. Under Mexican law, it is a felony to be an illegal alien in Mexico.
At a time when the Supreme Court and many politicians seek to bring American law in line with foreign legal norms, it's noteworthy that nobody has argued that the U.S. look at how Mexico deals with immigration and what it might teach us about how best to solve our illegal immigration problem. Mexico has a single, streamlined law that ensures that foreign visitors and immigrants are:
- in the country legally;
- have the means to sustain themselves economically;
- not destined to be burdens on society;
- of economic and social benefit to society;
- of good character and have no criminal records; and
- contributors to the general well-being of the nation.
The law also ensures that:
- immigration authorities have a record of each foreign visitor;
- foreign visitors do not violate their visa status;
- foreign visitors are banned from interfering in the country's internal politics;
- foreign visitors who enter under false pretenses are imprisoned or deported;
- foreign visitors violating the terms of their entry are imprisoned or deported;
- those who aid in illegal immigration will be sent to prison.
Who could disagree with such a law? It makes perfect sense.”

Bloggers don't have to state to Americans the--BILLIONS--of dollars Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) will cost--as its costing now in free unrevealed monies that supports illegal immigrant families, stolen by the tax system. Never have I seen people so angry with this administration that is spending the lives of our grandchildren future. The blame cannot even be attributed to those in power now, but through many presidents have we been subsidizing the welfare of illegal families.We must enforce E-Verify illegal labor identification system, 287 (g) police arrest, ICE raids and tell our lawmakers, don't compromise the American way of life by importing poverty and habitual criminals, Build the under funded border fence as originally intended, not the single strand as we have now. IF YOU WANT TO APPROVE A TRILLION DOLLAR COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION POLICY THAT'S YOUR CHOICE. BUT IF YOU ARE TIRED OF SUPPORTING THE REST OF THE WORLD, YOU BETTER SPEAK UP BEFORE ITS TOO LATE. Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to be connected to your Senator and Congressman and use the voting power of THE PEOPLE. NUMBERSUSA AND JUDICIAL WATCH for more frightening information and which lawmaker are signers to the potential AMNESTY and the immigration grades of these proponents. REMEMBER ANOTHER BLANKET AMNESTY WILL ULTIMATELY LEAD TO UNSUSTAINABLE OVERPOPULATION.

Here we go again with the good old faith leaders. How about these faith leaders pitch in and get these illegal aliens some one way tickets back to their own Country where they belong with their families! AMEN!