we must start call illegal massive immigration with the right term: CRIME!

I am an employer in southwest Colorado who fills about half my staff positions with legal immigrants under the h2b program.

The immigration bill failed for many reasons. Indeed, one of them is trying to solve everyone's needs in one bill. But the main reason the bill failed was hate. Many will deny this, but that's where this country is headed, led by the hateful, spiteful, right wing media. If we truly believed in "legal" immigration and "border security" we would FIRST develop an adequate guest worker progam. Then the border security task would get much easier, cheaper, and could focus serious problems such as the organized drug trade rather than attempting to thwart the economic pressure that drives immigrants north, by building en expensive wall. Legal migration is essentially free, funded entierely through fees. A border wall will cost billions and won't do the job.

"What part of illegal don't you understand" is just code for "I hate all those foreigners."

Senate leaders seeking a rational immigration bill have received hate phone calls, even death threats. Does that show an honest desire for legal immigration?

vinny from boston has got his facts wrong.

romney did not hire illegal immigrants to do his landscaping. he hired a person whose company hired them. thats like saying you supported illegal immigration every time you buy a hamburger from mcdonalds.

America is a melting pot. No – I don't support illegal immigration, and yes – there are people who are hateful/spiteful and no Congressional law will ever change their opinion.

It is not realistic to build a fence around our country…I don't see anyone posting about a Canadian fence. Probably because the people up north aren't poor nor Mexican–right?

We need to fix the immigration laws to encourage people to come and join our country correctly. Has anyone reviewed the process? Its ridiculous – maybe you should review it before critcizing immigrants – especially poor ones.

We need to get new laws in place very badly–the Senate vote is extremely unfortunate. It could have served as a baseline. We could change/allow states to add on where needed, but we needed something. I think it begins with Bush getting the hell out of "our" White House. America can ill afford his tactics of divide an conquer much longer.

I agree that Washington is definitely out of touch with what the American citizens wants. Washington should stop trying to group every thing in one bill. Each issue should be a separate bill. this will allow for the detail setup of the who,what and how to carry out the specific job! First require all babies of illegal immigrants be register at their parents' country embassy as a "Citizen born in Foreign Country". The child will definitely be able to be a part of their parents culture. Second, all companies hiring illegal immigrants should be fined and lose all tax breaks and benefits at city,state and federal level. They should prove that they could not find workers though the thousands of Workers Temp Agencies. Third, there will be no amnesty,no citizenship, no voting rights ever for those who are mocking and laughing at our laws. DEPORTATION is simple! Take them to their perspective embassy so their government can make arrangement to send them home. I do believe that the embassy is considered an extension of its country's government and physical boundary. There are airlines going to all the desired nations daily!

"Romney isn’t afraid to talk about what has to be done and doesn’t play to the masses."

Umm… in this case, he did. I'm not saying he does play to the masses (the only Republican I've been following is Ron Paul), but in this case his opinion reflects what appears to be the majority.

Personally, I don't see how it's fair for 12+ million people to immediately gain citizenship after entering illegally, while people that can't "simply" cross the border have to wait (I know, it's not so simple). I do think that the most pressing issue is to get the wall up AND look for ways to make the process of citizenship faster and more efficient.

On the other hand, I agree with Stefan above: The most practical way to stop businesses from hiring illegal immigrants, and thus reduce the incentive to come here illegally, is to force businesses to pay these workers the same wages a citizen would earn. I'd also love to know how we would ship the millions of families back home, without turning into some frightening police state.

"if you give them some kind of legal status they cant be paid less than minimum wage and their advantage over American workers disappears"

So, Stefan, if we make this batch of 12 million or so legal, then what's to stop the next 12 million coming in? If we make these people legal and subject to minimum wage, don't you think comaines who want to hire illegals cheaply will just shun tham and bringin more illegals from Mexico? And the whole process starts all over again, just like it did when we made this mistake the first time back in the 80's.

And if you think there are really 12 million, think again. Its much more like 20 million and by some stimates as much as 35 million. That's another hole in the bill – how can you create and fund a bill when you don't even know how many people you're dealing with, and what the real costs are??

The name calling and pointing of fingers must stop. Right is right — wrong is wrong. Most US citizens have no problem with LEGAL immigrants. Most LEGAL immigrants come to this country and make a signficant contribution. I have a close friend who has moved here from South Africa and from day one has been a working, tax paying citizen. She is now married to an American citizen. It took her TEN years to get her green card!!! She wanted to go back to South Africa to visit her ailing grandmother and was told if she left, she wouldn't be allowed to come back — and she is married to an American citizen!!

Our borders MUST be enforced, our laws MUST be enforced and the companies who are bringing illegal immigrants to this country with the promise of jobs must be punished. This is the only solution for our illegal immigration problem that makes any sense.

The politicians must understand that the people of this country are demanding, and will continue to demand, that our quality of life and this country come first.

I don't think that many illegal immigrants would come if so many Americans weren't ready to pay them to work. if you give them some kind of legal status they cant be paid less than minimum wage and their advantage over American workers disappears (so if Americans DO want the job, they can have it). we need to work on curing the disease, not treating the symptom, and the disease is Americans need for these workers. these immigrants aren't going away, so we might as well work on something realistic that might work rather than sticking to nonsense ideology (that all 12 million people should leave). thats what has gotten us in the fun situation we have had the last 7 years…

The statement "he hired" illegal aliens is incorrect. He contracted with a company that used illegal aliens, and to say he "knew" is a desperate dart.

Romney stood up tall and wasn't afraid to say that the immigration bill wasn't crafted correctly and shouldn't go through. And he said it at a time when it looked like it would make it. The majority of Americans agree with him on this one.

Romney is absolutely correct. The children-are woefully going to suffer for the misdeeds of their parents-who should have put them first at the onset. Enough! The day has dawned where illegal aliens have more rights than do American's. Bravo to a man who recognizes the severity of the situation and can do something about it-that is if we are smart enough to elect him. Romney isn't afraid to talk about what has to be done and doesn't play to the masses. Wake up America. Just how far would an American get who illegally entered another country? It would be comical if it weren't so serious.

So we should ignore the millions who take the time to become a citizen the right way to make sure that illegals can join our "melting pot?"

Give me a break. What society needs to stop doing is blaming everybody else for their own problems. You know whose hurting the children? THEIR PARENTS. The parents break the law and then scream about how we are making their children suffer.

I am sick and tired of people giving parents (legal or illegal) a free pass.

protecting our borders by building a big fence ?

come on… the only people interested in building that fence are the contractors due to the million of dollars they are going to receive.

(by the way do they plan to check who is building this fence to make sure no illegal immigrants are employed during the construction ? )

A refresher course in history will show that a fence never blocked anybody to enter a country see maginot line and the german panzer division during WWII or more recently the fence between israel and palestine or the fence in bagdad to divide suburbs …)

people will just fly over it, dig under it or just go around with a boat through California or Texas…

Furthermore, any person planning to attack again the US definitely would not cross the mexican border on foot with "jose the landscaper" and "maria the maid"
they would simply hire a private jet, charter a boat from the bahamas or buy frequent flyer miles on ebay to get a flight to JFK….

This is not about being hateful/spiteful or deciding against a "melting pot" society. It's about people who engage in illegal activity and want Americans to forget that.
Illegal immigrants who bring their children or give birth here and then want to hide behind them are vile. They, not our governemnt, created situtation that they, our our governement,put their children.
We do not worry about the children of legal citizens who end up arrested or convicted being separated from their children. Why this group of criminals?
This country has a process for entering the legally and for obtaining citizenship. The process may not be fair and it may be lenghty, it is law of the land.
Anyone who enters this country illegal shouldn't be able to jump ahead in the line for entery or citizenship.
We do not allow drug users or dealers dicatate our drup policy. Nor should we allow the illegal dictate our immgration policy.

"I guess the US will lose its “Great Melting Pot” analogy with all the hateful/spiteful things put on this comment page."

Once again J, if the illegal alien that we are talking about and are having to pay tax on actually did some melting, this may not be such a hot-button issue. It is time for all of us to really sit down and determine what it is to be an American. Simply coming here to work, while making no attempt to be a part of our "Melting Pot Society," should not be sufficent for citizenship. That is what is at issue. I do not want the geography of our great cities to be "Melting Pot" and then "El Barrio."

Actually, Bush supported this bill, and Romney is agaist it….do your homework. Romney has been against amnesty from the beginning.

He'd say anything to get elected. He never had an idea of his own – just following Bush.

I guess the US will lose its "Great Melting Pot" analogy with all the hateful/spiteful things put on this comment page. You know – I get the feeling that some people on here would like to see more of the diverse population than just our neighbors to the south get the boot.

Romney is a hypocrite! His website is available in ESPANOL! Need I say more.

Citizens from outside of Massachusetts may not realize how hypocritical Romney's comments on immigration are. He hired illegal immigrants to maintain his lawn. He will hide behind the comment that the company he hired was responsible, but he knew what was going on. At least McCain has the guts to take on a politically difficult issue in order to do what's best for the country. Romney's method of deciding what stand to take on any given issue is to stick his finger in the air to see which way the wind is blowing.

This break up of the family unit argument is bull.

Please, just take your kids back home with you. They can change their citizenship too, ya know.

I couldn't image doing anything else but that with mine..

Romney is correct. The majority of Americans do not want to give anmnesty to the 12 to 20 million illegal aliens in the USA. We want our government to secure our borders, enforce our immigration laws, and to follow a policy of attrition through enforcement. Attrition through enforcement.
http://www.numbersusa.com/interests/attrition.html

Oh, puhleaze! Think of the children. The children of this world are always affected by the decisions and actions of their parents. When their parents break the law and drag them along, or run across the border and have them here, which happens all day every day, then there is a cost. Just like everything else in life, decisions have consequences, good and bad. Our Congress has become a miserable failure at doing the right thing for this country – it's time for just about all of them to take a hike, beginning with all the ones that wanted this amnesty package. They know for absolute certain that no border enforcement will happen. Our borders are Swiss cheese – until they fix that, Americans aren't going to go for it. You will see at election time.

"I think people need to start talking about the children, because if no one backs them, then their opportunities in America “the beautiful” will be wasted."

A S, I think people are thinking about the children, because they are thinking about the parents that brought them here and will bring them up in America "the beautiful." Look at the statistics, number one drop out rate among all high school students in the US is among students of illegal families. One of the main problem that most people are not talking about is the failure of many of these illegals to assimulate. In previous immigration periods with Germans and the Irish, these groups tried to assimulate into general population to the point that within a generation it was impossible to determine when individuals arrive. In the situation we see now we see illegals here for decades who are unable to speak English, and, while trying to protest that they stay here, wave a Mexican flag in our faces. It is in that kind of environment that these kids are being brought up in, and it is why they are already wasting their opportunities in the public schools and general economy today.

I think it's such a shame that no one is focusing on the millions of immigrant children who are affected by the bill. Children who have great potential to contribute to American society may never get the chance because they will not be able to afford higher education. I understand the importance of legally gaining status, but the children did not choose to come to America and they certainly had no say in their status becoming illegal. I think people need to start talking about the children, because if no one backs them, then their opportunities in America "the beautiful" will be wasted.

Right, thats why Romney had an illegal immigrant doing his landscaping. This guy will say/do anything to get elected. Pathetic.