Immigration reform must find balance

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55510.html

As Washington fiddles on immigration, the rest of the nation burns.

State and local law enforcement are now being charged with immigration enforcement responsibilities, leading in some jurisdictions to roundups and racial profiling. Legal immigrants and U.S. citizens have been caught in the dragnet. States are also attempting to pass immigration laws that are inherently unconstitutional — creating conflict with the federal government and sapping political energy better used on a federal bill.


The lack of immigration policy on the federal level has led to a de facto abdication to state and local governments, which are ill-equipped to handle it effectively or humanely. Now, immigration is being carried out by hundreds of governments, not just one.

What are the human costs of this federal inaction? Immigrant families — many with U.S.-citizen children — are being separated; the effective working relationships and trust that once existed between immigrant neighborhoods and local law enforcement have been seriously eroded. Should federal reform be shelved indefinitely and state and local enforcement continue unchecked, the nation’s social fabric will begin to tear — to the detriment of all Americans.

The Obama administration and Congress would be wise to avoid such a legacy and forge an immigration compromise. To his credit, President Barack Obama’s recent speech in El Paso, Texas, was an attempt to show leadership and generate some political momentum for immigration reform.

He will need more than a speech or two, however, to show Capitol Hill, as well as supporters of immigration reform, that he is prepared and willing to spend political capital on this.

Over the next few months, he may have that opportunity. The House will very likely pass a series of immigration enforcement measures — most notably a mandatory expansion of the employment verification system. To show he is serious about immigration reform — and not merely using it for political purposes — the president needs to draw a line in the sand: no new enforcement initiatives without broader reforms.

A recent White House blueprint for immigration reform says that any mandatory expansion of an e-verify system “must be accompanied by a legalization program that allows undocumented workers to get right by the law.” This language is encouraging. But the president and his administration now must put words into action — by actively opposing immigration enforcement legislation that does not address the underlying problems of our broken immigration system.

Hopefully, presidential leadership, combined with leadership in Congress, would bring both sides together to negotiate a package that balances enforcement with reforms in the legal immigration system. This must include a legalization program for undocumented immigrants.

Otherwise, a permanent underclass is likely to remain in our country’s shadows, working in an underground economy and unable to fully contribute to its communities. The chaos that is now our national immigration policy is then only likely to worsen, making the American public more frustrated and dividing more U.S. families.

Part of our elected officials’ responsibility is to educate their constituents and to lead — even if that means risking the loss of potential political support, at least in the short term. This statesmanship has helped our country tackle difficult issues at important moments in our history.

On immigration, that trait is severely lacking. Let us hope that the president’s renewed focus on the issue is a sign that our national leadership is awakening to its responsibilities

Looks like all hell is about to break loose...

Thanks for the article, Alex!



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once again this is empty, obama knows that states can implement this state by state and he simply gives them the tools to do so, if he really where serious about reform, he would put a stop to it in his own dept of homie security, he has that authority after all but he doesnt, he drew the line when he said he wouldnt use exec power to help out dreamers, yet he used exec power to arm the border

if he included no more secure comm or everify implemented anywhere, unless reform is advanced, then that would be something, but like many other promises hes made before, the first 100 days, the first year, DA, etc, this one seems like its headed the same way, and worst of all its even less ambitious than the rest, pretty soon hell be promising deportation but you get to stay at the hilton and with season passes to any waterpark in your country

The Hilton? The rates run pretty high. I'd settle for a Motel 6.