Z, a move very similar to what you mentioned was already undertaken in the 90s when all illegals (estimated 5 million at that point) were offered a complete amnesty if they would just register and begin the naturalization process, but the offer was largely ignored because it meant giving up their tax free status and of course, distrust on their about what else might happen if they were to admit to having been here illegally.

One problem we in the US have is that too many people want to emigrate here and there's already a yearly quota in place to attempt to keep that number at a manageable figure relevent to the jobs available, social services funding structures, ecological impact, etc.. Unforunately, even this quota figure itself has been added to and extended to the point where the impact of even just the legal immigration will become insupportable in less than 10 yrs, and this doesn't even take into account the illegal population already here, much less the ones streaming across the borders daily, so the whole issue is extremely problematic once all facets of it are taken into account.

Here's a link to a really logical and reasonable discussion on this topic that shows some of the impacts mentioned above and is well worth the time invested in watching it if for those interested in learning about it [www.numbersusa.com]

I've mentioned several times in the past that militarily guarded borders are a key part of the solution to stop the rampant incursion by illegals, but as mentioned above, congress has typically refused to support such moves, even when a large portion of the legal population supports such an idea.

With the Democratic party now having a controlling number of members in the House and Senate, coupled with a pres. elect already having stated amnesty for the illegals is in his agenda and being sympathetic to these people who are rampantly robbing the US of its many jobs and resources, it's not going to get better, and will most likely only get worse.

Lastly, to pulse : a quote written on a statue or a speech from a time long ago neither one impact our laws regarding immigration, which have definitive parameters and expectations for all who choose to come here. In no way were these statements ever intended to mean: break our laws by illegally breaching our borders, then demand prefferential treatment and thwart the accepted immigration laws and procedures expected by those who emigrate here by legal means