Illegal pays more to the few, than legal does to the many

 The powers that be have no reason to want a reformed legal immigration process, even though they are always clamoring for it. Non-profits that help illegal immigrants would be out of work. ICE and Border Patrol and companies building walls would lose funding. Cartels and coyotes that ferry people across the border would lose money. Farmers and the hospitality industry would have to pay higher wages to legal immigrants. Other countries don't have to mend their ways as they can de facto say to their people, go to the U.S. if you don't like it here. School districts love illegal immigration because they get paid on a per student basis.

What's in it for the greater good? Legal immigration would cost less taxpayer dollars. Although it would cost companies more to higher legal green card holders, they'd have a consistent flow of workers and not have to worry about the complexities of dealing with undocumented workers. Although there will still be illegal immigration, a smaller enforcement group, could deal with it. Countries that used to have a huge outflux of people, would have to hopefully make reforms to make life better in their countries. Communities in the U.S. would have more time to gradually absorb a more consistent flow of immigrants. And with the U.S. population aging, the U.S. would have workers coming in to keep the economy going.

Congress had that new immigration law ready to go before Trump put his kibosh on it. It's hard to understand why Congress caters to him. I suppose it's always easier to do nothing and collect their salary than to govern the country. Since Hamilton started sending treatises to Congress back in the late 1700s, Congress had deferred to executive law making. It's time to get the power back to the people and curb the federal bureaucracy.