The United States government offers information on the process of entering the country legally through its consulate website and embassies, yet, many immigrants keep choosing unlawful ways that are also life-threatening.

The biggest question out of all is why? If there exists a legal process, why take the risk of walking for days (or weeks) in the desert with the possibility of dying of dehydration, assault by cartels, rape or getting arrested by immigration patrol?

The simple fact is that many immigrants choose the path of entering the country unlawfully because the legal process is too long, too expensive and most importantly, unrealistic.

The first step is to have a petition approved. Then, is requesting an immigrant visa for permanent residency, according to the U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Consulate Affairs. Generally, there are two ways; he or she must be sponsored by an immediate relative that is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent, or through a prospective employer.

In addition is the wait. The United States limits the number of visas available each year by country, and the available immigrant visas are issued in the chronological order in which the petitions were filed.

For many individuals who are economically stable, this option may sound simple, but for others, it’s not. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops , two well-regarded opinion surveys of unauthorized immigrants in the United States found that the large majority of those unauthorized in the country today would have preferred to enter lawfully if they could have.

Yet, many immigrants are ineligible to enter the United States legally with a green card as a lawful permanent resident. First, most do not have the family relationships required to apply for lawful entry. They cannot access humanitarian protection because of economic hardships as such status is only available to those fleeing persecution. Lastly, the majority do not have advanced degrees that would allow them to work in high-skilled professions that would qualify them for work-sponsored lawful permanent residency.

Immigrants who are fleeing violence, crime, poverty, and government oppression see the United States as their only option for a change. Also, it’s easier for South and Central Americans as well as immigrants from the Caribbean to flee to the U.S. because of the convenient location in the western hemisphere.

If it were possible for undocumented immigrants to arrive the legal way and without risking their lives, it would be ideal. Sadly, the perception of coming to the U.S. is misleading, and not applicable to many. Therefore, instead of blaming immigrants, why don’t we change the unrealistic laws that prohibit them from doing so? That is in fact, the real question.