More than 50,000 unattended children and teens from Mexico and Central America have crossed the U.S. border, creating a humanitarian crisis that will cost taxpayers billions to ease.

It has also added a sense of urgency to the debate over immigration reform and the status of an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country.

Its an issue vitally important to farmers and ranchers who depend on temporary workers, of which as many as 80 percent are thought to be in the U.S. illegally.

We would propose a reform plan that includes many of the points suggested by various factions. It would provide legal status to those illegal immigrants already in the country who meet specific conditions. It provides more temporary workers. It requires more from employers and government.

U.S. citizenship is an honor and privilege that has immeasurable value. To be granted conditional legal residency with a path to citizenship after 10 years, illegal immigrants already in the country must:

Register and undergo a background check, providing the best documentation available to establish both their identity and date of arrival.

Obey the law. Anyone convicted of a felony since arriving, or after being given conditional residency, should be deported. Anyone with a significant criminal record in their native country should not be granted conditional legal status, and should also be repatriated.

Pay a fine. Illegal immigrants eligible for conditional residency should pay a fine over the next 10 years. They broke federal law when they arrived illegally, and that cannot be ignored.

Learn English. It is a requirement for citizenship, so every conditional resident should learn the language.

Illegal immigrants given conditional legal status would be allowed to work. Those who fulfill the requirements would, after 10 years, be eligible to apply for permanent residency and then, after the statutory waiting period, citizenship.

The government must:

Control the borders. When he was running for reelection in 2012, President Obama said the U.S. border with Mexico was secure. But the New York Times reports that since April 300,000 illegal immigrants have crossed the border.

There is no immigration regulation without a secured border. Any reform scheme needs to be a one-time-only offer.

Verify legal status of employees: A system must be enforced to verify every employee, temporary or permanent, is in the country legally.

Reform the H-2A system to remove the politics and the nonsensical requirements. It should not take months to apply for and obtain needed temporary foreign workers. If an employer has a shortfall, he should be able to obtain help quickly especially in the agriculture sector. Year-round workers should also be included in the program.

Immigration reform is a divisive political issue, but partisans need to be pragmatic. There is not sufficient political will to push 12 million illegals back across the border, or to offer them unconditional amnesty.

A scheme that gets them on the books and on a long path to permanent residency and possible citizenship, while securing the border, seems to be the only realistic solution.