process”, let alone “come here illegally” or “jump the line”?

That is factually inaccurate nonsense. The problem is there isn’t even a “line” for most of these people other than trying asylum. Which they do, often resulting in being sent back home.

People who do cross illegally are also usually out of options otherwise. But they want to live here, come here because American businesses will hire them, and, as you note, often have family here. There isn’t much reason to prevent them from having a legit channel to go through, which you seem to oppose.

You realize immigrants from Italy, Ireland, Poland, etc also just showed up and no one stopped them? They were processed in roughly the same way bus tickets get processed and not much more.

That influx of people seeking better lives is what made America “great” but lots of bigoted assholes had a problem with them too. Not saying we can be that lax now, but why do we treat people from our South so much differently?