Government recently realized the influx of immigrants seen in the past decade is affecting the nation in ways beyond the “ethnic food” aisles making their way into supermarkets across the nation.

As soon as it returns from Easter vacation, a Senate committee will attempt to hammer out the final details of an immigration reform bill looking to remedy the current and pending problems posed by an undocumented, illegal population of immigrants numbering around 11 million. It is no longer feasible for the U.S. government to ignore the matter.

Discussion and debate revolves around what the country is going to do with 11 million people already living in the United States illegally, and whether or not to allow people to continue entering the country.

Looking out for number one by deporting immigrants to their home countries and zip locking our borders against further entry presents an appealing, simple solution. It would get “them” out of the nation’s hair. However, it would be a heavy handed, overly simplistic band-aid that would be of little real help.

A wiser decision would be to help immigrants who are already in the country gain citizenship. At the same time, the government should create more (though carefully monitored) avenues for legal entry into the country.

Without argument, a border that sees the traffic of an estimated 1 million undocumented people each year poses a serious threat to national security. The U.S. government has no way of determining whether or not any of those people are simply poor workers looking for a better living or potential terrorists. Nor is it known what illegal substances may enter the country with these people

Nevertheless, to deport 11 million people and seal the southern border with a 700- mile-long fence will do little to curb the more sophisticated efforts likely to be used by drug smugglers and would-be terrorists.

For example, the fence running along the border of Southern California did little to protect the country from a half-mile long underground tunnel connecting Tijuana and San Diego. Law enforcement officers found two tons of marijuana in the tunnel earlier this year.

The Mexican government has a major incentive for maintaining a steady stream of Mexican citizens entering the United States. Migrant workers send $16 billion a year back to families in Mexico. A bill that would deport illegal immigrants and prohibit any more from entering would likely receive little support from the Mexican government.

However, if the U.S. government were to create more and simpler legal avenues for immigrants to become citizens of the country, Mexico would only gain by aiding the U.S., making the nations efforts at immigration control vastly more effective.

In the end, there should be no “us/them” mentality with the issue.

The United States has a serious security concern on its hands with such a poorly controlled southern border. These problems should be handled with seriousness and caution. But when considering people who want to come to the United States in order to enjoy the benefits of this exceptional country, there is no reason to turn them away.

Beyond politics, the United States is a country founded more on principles believed to be correct and right than on tradition or ethnicity. Shouldn’t U.S. citizenship be similar? Something that is right and good should not be relegated to those lucky enough to be born in the correct country. More than place of birth, a desire for fairness, freedom or a better life should qualify a person for the opportunity to be American.