I have a personal connection to the immigration debate, and from a policy standpoint I'm really on the fence. Every nation has a right to set policy within its borders, and it makes sense to me that a nation should know who is coming and going. I would add that we are lucky to be born in a country like the US, not everyone is so fortunate. Having said that, I despise the vilification of immigrants, as if the immigrants of previous generations were somehow pure of heart, while the immigrants of present are to be loathed. It's depressing how similar the conversation around immigrants and immigration has been over the years. This stuff isn't new, history is cyclical.
Bottom line, nobody wants to accept responsibility. Despite claims that Democrats widely support an open border policy, I've rarely heard that from the party. But to be honest I hardly hear Democrats offering any concrete policies on immigration. On the other hand, if the dyed-in-the-wool Republicans want to stricter enforcement, then building a wall and militarizing the border is bad policy. What do you think happens when you lock down the border? It makes getting illicit goods across the international line more lucrative for organized crime. You haven't stopped it, you've shot it full of steroids. Not to mention the corrupt officials paid to look the other way as drugs and people cross. It also destroys border communities, but I'm not going to get bogged down debating that point.
Immigrants come because there are jobs, and as long as people give them jobs they will continue to come. If I were in their shoes I'd probably do the same thing. If Americans want change, then you can't just punish the immigrants. Millions of jobs need to be filled and Americans aren't filling them, not unless you want to force Americans to work for the pitiful wages picking fields and cleaning toilets. This will never happen, but greatly expanding a visa program is a workable solution. People can come and go as long as they clear an extensive background check. People seem to forget that one of the main reasons so many immigrants stay is because of the high cost of getting here illegally. People used to come and go with the seasonal work. They didn't want to stay, and they didn't have to. But in this era of extreme enforcement, if you've put everything on the line, and you owe the cartels, you have no choice but to stay.