I'm a legal immigrant from a one of the countries with illegal immigrant issues (Guatemala).

As a Latina, I feel for the coummunity but the issue here is ILLEGAL immigration and the strain it places on the U.S. economy (mainly state and local). Yes this country was built on immigrants, but they were legal. Many latinos who have followed the laws and procedures of this country to live in this country do not take kindly to the fact that people take advantage of the situation and infiltrate into the U.S. and then make deamands when they do not have the legal blessing of this country to be here.

May I also note that our housekeeper (who is from Mexico) and our nanny (who is from HOnduras) are legal immigrants and they feel similarly. In fact sometimes those of us who make it up here legally sometimes do so at great personal sacrifice. Why should others get the carte blanche AND on top of it not pay taxes (other than the taxes for the goods they buy) yet demand the services those very same taxes fund?

I'm all for the illegal immigrant reform programs. This is the U.S. and they need to pass the laws and put in place programs that makes sense for the citizens and legal immigrants of this great country.

Yes, perhaps there is a price to pay: maybe the price of services are artificially lower than what they really are because of the use of illegal immigrants...similar to the "Wal Mart" effect on imported goods from the east (stuff is artifically lower than what it should be) or the price of gas. I think the time is coming when in America gas is no longer cheap, knick knacs from China aren't really all that cheaper...etc. etc.