[quote=@The Harbinger of Ferocity]
In my opinion, women are treated fairly in the United States by and large.
[/quote]

As a woman in the United States I'll do my best to respect your opinion.


As for the illegal immigration piece. If I or my family were in danger I can't say I'd hesitate to flee to safety, regardless of lines on a map or laws where I was going. If you would do otherwise, then I must stand in awe of your commitment to law. I can appreciate that people don't feel super comfortable with people entering the country illegally. 

Should they be 'incentivized' to stay? They are already' incentivized' because they know what they left behind. Should there be some sort of legal endorsement of their status? That is a thorny question, on an emotional level it dosen't seem fair, but from a practical standpoint what is the solution? Deport millions of people? Not really practical, even if you had thousands of agents combing the nation with all sorts of intrusive ID checks, expensive legal proceedings, bureaucratic red tape ect. It couldn't be managed. This doesn't even begin to consider the issues of splitting parents away from children with legitimate citizenship, not that moral concerns tend to carry the day.

I myself went through extensive vetting before I was given my green card, extensive and expensive and beyond the reach of an illiterate South American peasant. It took an extremely long time too, well over a year and a half from start to finish, of course no one was shooting up my neighborhood while I waited.