Kickem' out or Keepem' in?

So I was listening to the Laura Ingram show on the ride home yesterday (Bigguns, don't pass out) and she quoted some statistics about incarcerations and arrests of illegal aliens in 2005. ~350,000 arrests and 55,000 detained illegal aliens, none of whom were deported. Why are we continueing to pay for incarceration of these thugs and why are we releasing them back to the streets of America. My wife applied for her permanent resident status in OCT2005 and is still waiting for approval. She's been told that she will be deported and she will not be allowed to submit another application for residency if she breaks the law while her status is pending, yet the gang bangers and petty thiefs in our jails get to hang out in America all they want. There are leagal ways to come into our country, but the system is bogged down and inefficient. Spend some money to speed this up, institute work programs, even make an exemption for law abiding illegals to convert legally in a 5-10yr period, but don't continue to allow criminal aliens to stay in our country. If you're really gungho about this you can sign up for Michelle Malkin's petition. I know you libertarians think this will crush the economy, but at some point you have to put your foot down and enforce the rules.