Originally Posted by freshh.

Of course the fines will be steep and they'll have to wait a ridiculous amount of time. But, we don't have another option at this point. If the undocumented population isn't "sufficiently punished," Republicans will shout amnesty from the rooftops and we'll get no where, again.

Even with a status similar to what we have now, they'll be able to drive, work and live. I'm not saying we should accept crumbs, but we can't demand a full course meal when one side isn't being cooperative.

We don't know what the benchmarks will be for securing the border. However, I highly doubt Democratic leadership will let people like Jan Brewer or Rick Perry decide if the border is secure enough. MSNBC contributors discussed the possibility of an advisory council, but ultimately, there will have to be some sort of time table in the final legislation to prevent an extremely lengthy wait time for adjustment of status. The federal government will be responsible for saying the benchmarks are met, not state governors who are vehemently against our legalization.

I understand there are certain things that we want, but at the end of the day, should we wait until the next administration considers taking up CIR? Should we continue having to make phone calls and send faxes to get folks out of deportation proceedings? I definitely don't think so.