I Would Cross The Border Too

Nothing is ever going to be done on the issue of illegal immigration, unless the underlying issues are addressed. Advocates of stronger enforcement are dismissed as being racist. And there are those who are motivated by racism. That must be acknowledged, and the arguments in favor of stronger enforcement must include a method which compensates for the inherent racism in some of their number.
Advocates of amnesty, driver's licenses for undocumented workers, and guest worker programs are dismissed as being for open borders, opening America to terrorists. They maintain that the vast majority of immigrants, legal and illegal, simply want to feed and provide for their families. And that is true. Hwoever, they must acknowledge that a certain percentage of those who cross the border illegally are coming to this country to commit crime in a "target-rich" environment, with a built-in escape hatch - the border. A certain percentage of those who cross the border illegally are those who are on Federal Watch lists, because they have been associated with groups that want to bring harm, as much harm as possible, to this country.
Let us ALL agree that in re-designing a border-control program which must serve all of America, that ALL of the border control will be directed at the very small percentage of those who would bring harm to America, whether that harm is terrorist, criminal, or economic overwhelmment (is that a word?).
No one can be satisfied, much less happy, that there are dozens of hospitals which have been forced out of providing any service at all; and most of them have been located in the very heart of the communities that need them most.
No one can be satisfied, much less happy, that the schools in California, especially in densely populated areas, suffer immense rates of drop-outs, gang violence, drug use, and academic failure.
No one can be satisfied, much less happy, that the law-enforcement officers, paramedics, and 911 dispatchers spend great swaths of time dealing with non-emergency issues, partly because of mis-use of a system by those who do not comprehend it.
No one can be happy that the roads are as congested as they are, that the cars most likely to contribute most heavily to pollution are driven by those who cannot afford repairs, that accidents involving those who cannot purchase insurance drive up costs for everyone, that those who do not take tests to show they understand our rules are much more likely to cause accidents.
I am not trying to argue that illegal immigration is the cause of all of these tragic circumstances. However, there is not a doubt in my mind that it is a factor in all of them.
Hearing that admission from the advocates of guest worker programs, and a willingness to include in their program something that would address each of these on some level, would go a long way toward breaking down the resistance of those on the side of greater enforcement.
Hearing an admission from the advocates of greater enforcement that there is and will remain in this country a need for continued immigration, that if the shoe were on the other foot, if they were caught in a rigid, corrupt system like those prevalent in Mexico and many of the other countries from which those immigrants come, that they might consider breaking the border to achieve for their families the tremendous wealth, freedom, and opportunity that are available in this country.
If both sides would acknowledge an ability of this country to provide through invention and technology, through hard work and organization, through the competition inherent in our economy, not only enough for our citizens, but also enough to help boost the economies of the rest of the world, we might actually be able to create a solution which would be a win-win instead of a compromise.