Hey Valley. I think we have similar experiences with the immigration process. Iirc, you married a Brazilian girl. You never said if she came here legally or illegally, but I suspect hers was a legal process. I have many, many, many friends, close friends in fact, who entered America following the legal process. I have personally attended many swearing in/oath of citizenship ceremonies and wept with these friends who went about it the right way and ultimately achieved their goal of citizenship. For me, the people who went through the immigration process the right way show much greater fortitude and feel stronger about their commitment to this country than those who sneak in. But maybe that's just me. I understand that your position is going to be colored by your personal experience, just as mine is. However, regardless of your personal lens through which you view this topic, the legality IS pretty damned black or white, and I can't imagine trying to argue otherwise. In summary, I know many people who went about it the right way. I have known only 1 person who went about it illegally, and I ultimately distanced myself from her. I feel that strongly about laws. Also, I feel that same way about all the other laws you cited that Americans break on the daily (speeding, weed, etc.) We are a nation built around a system of law and order. And people who begin their America journey by breaking the law just cannot be tolerated.
Just my 2 cents. Carry on.