If you were to ask any random selection of Americans what the U.S. immigration policy is, I have a feeling you would get an extremely broad scope of answers. From Visas to green cards to a variety of different “statuses” that immigrants can hold, the whole process and idea is complex, confusing and overwhelming.

In 2013, according to CNN, 990,553 people were granted lawful permanent residence in the U.S. and 779,929 people became naturalized U.S. citizens. The more staggering statistic, however, is that in 2012 the Department of Homeland Security estimated that there were 11.4 million unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S.

By simply looking at these numbers, one can see that there is a problem with illegal immigration in this country. Whether this means we need tighter border control, new immigration policies, or amnesty, it is clear that something needs to be done.

So President Obama took things into his own hands with an executive order.

According to an article on The Daily Signal, Obama has “announced he will begin to fix the nation’s ‘broken’ immigration system by allowing millions here illegally to stay and to get work permits.” The White House estimated the number at around 5 million people. That is close to one half of the illegal immigrants currently in the U.S.

Since when did problem solving become as simple as making something illegal, legal?

Obama claimed that deporting all these immigrants “would be impossible and contrary to our character.”

There is no doubt that our immigration system needs major reforms. However, I do not believe that simply allowing millions of illegal immigrants to become legal is in line with our character either.

Although a common misconception is that immigrants do not pay taxes, the issue is that many immigrant households are net tax consumers. According to the Heritage Foundation, this means that “the benefits they receive exceed the taxes they pay.” This in turn means that illegal immigration can come at a great cost to American taxpayers.

Stronger border control is just one aspect of halting illegal immigration. If employers were not providing jobs to illegal workers, they would have much less incentive to even come here in the first place. It is not fair to those who go through the legal immigration process to give illegal and undocumented immigrants a free pass.

The U.S. needs to simplify the legal immigration process and make it more efficient. Many times, proponents of amnesty seem to be in favor of the ideas of equality and fairness and equal opportunity. However, none of those principles are present when those who do immigration the right (legal) way are given the same benefits of living in the U.S.

One idea that I think is a good concept is state-based work visas. According to The College Conservative, this means that immigrants would apply to work in particular states that need more workers. After working for a certain amount of time, they would be able to apply for visas in other states and eventually for full citizenship. Through this process, immigrants would have to hold a job in a legal way and earn their citizenship.

There are many ideas floating around for immigration reform. But the solution is not to just allow illegal immigrants a free pass.