I admittedly do not follow the immigration debate that closely and do not know much about immigration law in this country, but what about the following proposal for immigration:
1) Build the wall (see below for an idea on how to pay for it).
2) Build several "Immigration Centers" at major points along the border that would function somewhat similar to Ellis Island (i.e. immigrants could be screened for diseases, criminal backgrounds, terrorist sympathies, etc.). After a certain "clearing period" the immigrants could enter the country for various purposes, including potential citizenship.
3) Any "illegal" immigrant currently in the country would be required to either visit an Immigration Center or visit a local Immigration Office within a certain period of time. If they report, they would be eligible for citizenship/work visa/etc. immediately. Their "illegal" status would not be held against them. They would also be required to pay federal/state taxes immediately. Failure to report could result in immediate deportation.
4) A certain percentage of the tax revenue created by new immigrants and formerly "illegal" immigrants would be used to pay for the wall, as well as the increased costs to maintain the Immigration Centers.
Obviously, this is a very basic rubric. It's actually an argument that I made in debate class in high school (~1999), so it's a couple decades old and hasn't really been given much thought recently. However, it was something I was thinking about recently, and I'm curious what everyone would think of such a "solution" and what modifications people would have to make it more realistic/palatable/fair/etc.
