The thing with the immigration debate is...

...How do you decide who to let in and who to boot out? Obviously, we should not let people in who are a threat to this country. So, as unfair as it sounds, we should not let a huge influx of people in from Afghanistan or Iraq, Iran, etc...

But what about the others? Do you base it upon numbers, letting in so many people per month/year? How do you differentiate between those let in and those who are not?

For right now, I support open borders to peaceful immigrants, perhaps giving them a certain amount of time to find a job.

I would be curious though what ideas other people have, that is the best I have for right now.

Concerning the language issue, there is the issue with kids in schools, and with people out and about in the outside world. I would not say that adult immigrants necessarily have to learn the language, they just need to understand that not everyone is going to be able to accomodate them. They need to understand that their inability to speak language will affect them in getting a job or ordering a hamburger. I have a "door-swings-both-ways" philosophy. I don't care if you speak your own native tongue, just do not expect me to speak it as well.

The school issue is a trickier one. I suppose public schools should have teachers and classes for Spanish-speaking students, with the ultimate goal of having them learn English. Perhaps this is how its done now, but I would not be surprised if some schools handle Spanish-speaking students with no expections of teaching them English.

Concerning those currently in our borders illegally, perhaps Bush has the right idea. Many conservatives think he is being way too soft, but I think simply hauling back a ton of illegal aliens is unenforceable. And, let's be honest, having a softer approach to immigration will help the Republicans with Hispanics in the long run. That may sound tacky, but I say that so fellow conservatives won't give Bush such a hard time, and part of politics is fostering relationships.