Obamacare also teaches us that implementation of comprehensive reform probably won’t look the way you imagined it would – not only because of the countless unforeseen circumstances that pop up with any reform, but because this government arbitrarily enforces law. Do House members have any reason to believe that the administration is going to be serious about border certifications any more than it was serious about the employer mandate or any of the Obamacare deadlines it blew through?

Only last year, through an executive order, the Obama administration ignored congress and began halting deportations and offering work permits to Dream Act-eligible students — children brought to the country illegally. “They pledge allegiance to our flag. They are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper,” Obama said. Some surely do, and others surely don’t, but immigration has a human element that allows the abuse of executive power to exist without much blowback. (A problem for some us; even if we sympathize with the outcome.) You can imagine the sob stories we’ll have to endure trying to penalize, and then integrate, 11 million undocumented immigrants into American society.

Then there is the issue of cost. The CBO predicts that Senate immigration bill would decrease unemployment and increase investment and productivity. It also claims that the bill would reduce the deficit by $175 billion through 2023.Though, most economists agree that immigration is beneficial, any exact number is guesswork. The question should be: is the status quo healthier for the economy than creating millions of new citizens who will be thrown into a welfare system (which will happen, regardless of guarantees that it won’t)?