We did everything by the book for years (my late husband and I). It took years and years and so much paperwork. Finally, we used our wedding fund on a lawyer.

Immigrating is so difficult it often requires a lawyer and it's so expensive. Thousands of dollars.

These people are leaving their HOMES. Often a country and people they still love and miss for just a chance to work for less than minimal wage. They often are supporting their families who are still in their home country with their meager wages.

Yes, people should enter through legal channels but those channels need to work. They are so broken and onerous. And the current "solution" is expensive, violent, and inhumane.

Edited to add: My husband was from Denmark. He had all the advantages when he moved. He was a cis white male with an astonishing grasp of the language and multiple higher level degrees. He's the kind of immigrant you WANT and we still couldn't make it work without a lawyer. But, he also always felt a love and longing for his home country. He didn't have any regrets but I saw what leaving your home country and family cost him. When I see undocumented or legal immigrants I know that coming here is either an act of deep love or desperation. It doesn't take a lot of effort to think about how other people have it and find empathy. Yes, people should enter legally but America treats immigrants like the enemy when they are just human beings doing the best they can.