<whispers> no one wants to do the hard work of serious border and immigration reform because it would make for bad optics, increased legal immigration, and higher food and housing prices
It would make for bad optics because it would mean we'd have to take our immigration laws seriously on a regular basis as part of the buy-in from those parts of the population who want immigration slowed or stopped.
It would take increased legal immigration to get business buy-in and as the sop to people who want more immigrants, on a faster track to citizenship or not.
It would increase food and housing prices because we essentially subsidize these through the use of illegal labor to the point at which everyone knows it and fights any attempt to stop it.
There would be, at times, parents and children separated, though far less so than now; there would be more foreign competition for American jobs; and there would be higher prices at the grocery store and when you get your HUD-1 on your new home.
This isn't going to happen not only because it is difficult but because no sufficient portion of the population particularly wants to change the status quo with enough energy to overcome the Warriors of Krikkit effect.
