Immigrant rights...?

While interning at the network level for CBS this summer I was exposed to a variety of newsworthy topics.  In one way or another they all seemed to be impacted by immigration, whether it was legal or not.  Hot-bed issues such as the economy are largely affected by immigration, and I recall one such story that touches on immigration as it effects the economy, as well as the moral fiber of our country.

One of my bosses and a senior producer of CBS' Evening Weekend News, John Mondello, approached me at the start of our week about a story idea of his.  There had recently been an immigration raid in Iowa, the largest in the history of the country.  Mondello asked me to do some research on the issue and to see how feasible it would be for him to fly from New York to Iowa to shoot a story.

Sure enough, later that week he was on his way.  Working entirely on his own, Mondello produced and shot the story, which can be read here    

At the heart of the issue is what to do with illegal immigrants once they are caught and the impact that such a raid has on the local economy.

As you can guess, opinions vary.  Many people hold that these people should have no rights, they should be immediately deported once they are caught working here illegally.  After all, by simply being in our country and taking up employment without going through the correct process they are breaking the law.

No issue is this black and white, however, and I find these particular shades of gray to be rather compelling.  As seen in the story about Postville, Iowa, many of these workers were lured into purchasing fake documentation by U.S. citizens.  What's more, where do our ethical and moral judgments come into play?  Should these families be forced to live in poverty and unable to work while they await a court date?

To me it seems like we need a more definitive solution.  If they are indeed breaking the law and are caught, perhaps they should be deported illegally.  On the other hand, if we are going to try to process them through our court system, then we need to take into account what these people and their families will endure throughout this process and make appropriate accomodations.

No matter which side of the issue you agree with, the way that our country is currently handling the problem is clearly faulted.  What do you think?  Which extreme should we implement when dealing with immigration, or do you think there is a reasonable middle ground between deportation and complete accomodation?