You speak on the different definitions of different words and the meaning behind them and what not. I understand that these concepts are important to you (and dare I say, more important than the actual law). And I sympathize. Remember, my own family didn't start off here legally either. And I'm not talking hundreds of years ago or anything like that, but within my grandparent's living memory. I live 35 minutes from the border...below the second checkpoint. This is a topic/concept which I'm more familiar with than most on this site.

And I will still tell you that none of my personal experiences matter. None of the emotions around the situation matter. None of those things matter. What does? The law. The Constitution of the United States. Why? Because these things are what our specific nation is founded on. Everything else is set aside.

Those people who are here illegally (whether they came through an airport on a "vacation" and never left....or whether they walked across the unlabeled, unrecognizable border in the middle of the desert) have NO RIGHT to be here. It doesn't even matter if they were children when they came here (either with someone, or just straight up trucked over somehow). It doesn't matter if they have lived here physically for years.

So then there are two things that we, as a Country, need to do. Stem the tide of people illegally entering the nation. And then find a solution for those who are already here illegally. It is my opinion and viewpoint that both of these actions have multiple "prongs" that can help to achieve the goals.

When it comes to stemming the tide....a physical barrier would be a good first step, but I do not believe it can be the only step. Another step would be process changes to how someone may come here. When it comes to those already here, that is a whole other debate.

At the end of the day, the emotions and rhetoric need to be shelved in favor of a path forward and action. We've been punting on this topic for decades. It now seems as though this President is willing to take a stand on it...and bring things to a screeching halt to get the nation to acknowledge the situation.

~Jeordam