Is amnesty a viable solution to the illegal immigration issue?

If not, why give it to those who broke the law?

Not at all, it will contribute to the problem and give more illegals a reason to come here and wait for the next amnesty bill.

deportation is what the law requires but our legislators dont have the guts to enforce it.

It wasn't the last time we tried it. The results? More and more and more illegal aliens. Why? They get the message that all you have to do is enter illegally and wait long enough and you will eventually get what you want without bothering with the legal immigration process.

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ask the government!!! ha ha we live on an Ireland but we have more illegal immigration that we need surly there most be something wrong Italy is now sending them back Britain?/??

Of course it isn't as voiced by the over whelming majority of the American people!!
Deportation is one of the solutions!!
the other would be if for once the Mexican government would step up to the plate and strengthen their economy!!
They have the resources but can they control corruption

Why have laws if they will not be enforced? If you think 12 million new people will not affect the amount of taxes needed to support them, you are wrong.

I think that amnesty needs to be defined first. It seems to mean different things to different people. It's not immediate citizenship for every illegal alien. The way I have seen it defined in legislation is that illegal aliens would pay a fine (penalty for violating the law), pay back taxes and then apply to be a permanent resident. They would need to pass criminal background checks and medical evaluations, just as immigrants have to do now. If they have a criminal record of is they are threat to the public health then their application would be turned down and they would have to leave the country. This is the approach that most of country feels is the best way of dealing with the illegals already here. It's not inconsistent with making the border more secure and harder to cross illegally in the future.
What also needs to be addressed, I see very little discussion of this, is the issue of visa over stays. We can build a wall along the Rio Grande but that will only address about 60% of the problem. It doesn't deal with the issue of someone coming in on a tourist visa and then simply not leaving when their visa expires. The only way that can be enforced is to have all border check points tied into a central database. That DB would cross reference original entry date with required departure date. If someone hasn't left by the date they are supposed to then the information would be sent to ICE for further investigation.

I agree with no amnesty, provided everyone is given equal access to legal immigration, not just the elite of other countries. I do believe in amnesty to only those that were born and RAISED here, because this country and customs is all they know. It would otherwise be like you are swept up to another planet not knowing the language and everything being strange and scarey. Kids of illegals are not the criminals unless they are in gangs which should be the only cause to be deported.