Thread: Senators Can't Play Politics & Achieve Immigration Refor

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...nion-headlines

EDITORIAL
Stop pandering

Our position: Senators can't play politics and achieve real immigration reform.


Posted March 28, 2006

U.S. senators now debating immigration reform and what to do about the more than 11 million illegal immigrants in this country face a choice between pandering and pragmatism.

If they choose to pander, senators will follow the House in passing legislation that would dump more money into border security and crack down on illegal immigrants, but make no allowances for the work they do.

If senators choose pragmatism, they will combine improvements in border security with a guest-worker program that acknowledges the needs of the U.S. economy. A well-crafted program could bring millions of hard-working immigrants out of the legal shadows and let law-enforcement agencies focus their limited resources on real threats to public safety.

Senate Minority Leader Bill Frist, a likely candidate for president in 2008, has introduced legislation that takes the House's approach. Last week a Frist spokeswoman declared, "It's obvious there are drugs, there are criminals coming through those borders. There are also people from known terrorist organizations coming through those borders."

No question. But why send law-enforcement agents after vegetable pickers and housekeepers? Why not create a broader legal path for those workers, so agents can put more effort into pursuing drug traffickers and terrorists?

Tighter border security, without some mechanism to diminish the flow of illegal immigrants, only goes so far. Congress increased spending on the Border Patrol more than tenfold over the past couple of decades, yet millions more immigrants managed to slip into the country illegally.

Most illegal immigrants have come to work. They account for almost a quarter of farm workers nationally, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, and at least half in Florida, according to the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association. They also make up a significant share of workers in cleaning, construction and food preparation, according to Pew.

Attempting to round up and deport more than 11 million illegal immigrants would overwhelm law-enforcement agencies and divert their attention from greater threats to security. It would create havoc in the U.S. economy.

Opponents of a guest-worker program have stuck the misleading "amnesty" label on it. In fact, the most reasonable proposals would require illegal immigrants to register with the government, pass a criminal background check, pay a fine and back taxes, and continue working in jobs unclaimed by Americans to remain in the country for up to six years. If they wanted to apply for permanent legal status or citizenship, they would have to get in line behind lawful applicants.

Such a pragmatic provision is an essential part of the policy mix if the United States is finally to get a handle on illegal immigration.

Congress increased spending on the Border Patrol more than tenfold over the past couple of decades

That's a bald-faced lie. They did do a good job of reprinting the script from the White House though.