Thread: BUSH SHOULD EXPEND POLITICAL CAPITAL ON IMMIGRATION REFORM

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BUSH SHOULD EXPEND POLITICAL CAPITAL ON IMMIGRATION REFORM
Sat Apr 16, 7:58 PM ET
By Cynthia Tucker

If you pay attention to the spew on immigration coming from conservative talk radio and Web logs, you can easily get the impression that most of the 9/11 hijackers came from Mexico.

Verbal broadsides against Muslim terrorists mix easily with derisive comments about Latinos who sneak across the border seeking work. The growing backlash against immigrants doesn't distinguish between jihadists and would-be janitors.

So it doesn't matter much that House Republicans, who passed a bill last month that effectively bans drivers' licenses for illegal workers, keep proclaiming that their legislation is not anti-immigrant. "This is not an immigration issue; it's a national security issue," said Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., one of the bill's major supporters. But since the legislation lacks any provisions for giving immigrants the opportunity to work legally, it seems to be aimed not at protecting our borders but preventing immigration.

The backlash is getting ugly. In Arizona, dozens of untrained citizens are raising the level of risk in an already dangerous area by taking it upon themselves to patrol the border. CNN's Lou Dobbs, meanwhile, has turned his popular TV show into a forum for nativists bashing illegal immigration.

The growing resentment is not restricted to the Southwest, long a magnet for Latinos migrating in search of economic opportunity. It is also roiling the Deep South and Midwest, which have seen dramatic increases in their immigrant populations over the past decade. In suburban Atlanta, residents are increasingly blaming immigrants -- legal and illegal -- for crime and substandard schools.

It's time for President Bush to put aside his Social Security road show (which isn't gaining any support, anyway) so he can push for immigration reform. After all, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card has called immigration a bigger immediate problem than the prospect of baby boomers' retirement, according to The Washington Post.

For decades, the United States has pursued a de facto policy of exploiting and abusing immigrant labor, mostly from Mexico. It is hypocritical and un-American. While many of us (especially those of us who are middle class or wealthy) enjoy the benefits of low-cost labor, we have been unwilling to pass laws that make it easier for those laborers to get green cards or guest-worker visas. (If they achieved legal status, they might be unwilling to do unpleasant work for substandard wages.)

Nor have elected officials been willing to crack down on the businesses that hire illegal labor. Indeed, one of the reasons for our bipolar policy is that business interests pressure politicians to look the other way so they can continue to exploit cheap labor.

President Bush's instincts on immigration tend to be progressive and forward-thinking. Last Thursday, he told the American Society of Newspaper Editors that he supports a policy that would put together "willing workers" and "willing employers." He also acknowledged that the backlash against immigration "encourages nativism and behavior that doesn't represent the way America should view the world."

But the president hasn't pulled out all the stops to get immigration reform -- as he did to invade Iraq or to cut taxes. He ought to use his bully pulpit to remind Americans of the benefits of immigration. As just one example, the United States, unlike some European countries, has staved off the crisis of an aging workforce by importing young workers from south of the border.

Bush should also insist on harsh penalties, including jail time, for business executives who hire illegal workers. If business owners weren't so eager to hire undocumented workers, the workers would be less likely to run the risk of crossing the border illegally.

After his re-election, Bush confidently proclaimed that he had "earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it." One of his best investments would be a rational immigration policy.
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Cynthia Tucker is editorial page editor for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She can be reached by e-mail: cynthia@ajc.com.

CNN's Lou Dobbs, meanwhile, has turned his popular TV show into a forum for nativists bashing illegal immigration.

Good. May it will help to curb it. People are fed up.

In suburban Atlanta, residents are increasingly blaming immigrants -- legal and illegal -- for crime and substandard schools.

And rightfully so. People settle who are uneducated and their kids can't speak english. Who is paying for their education? The parents aren't--they don't make enough money.

He also acknowledged that the backlash against immigration "encourages nativism and behavior that doesn't represent the way America should view the world."

BS. We just want our laws enforced. Why can't you do that?

He ought to use his bully pulpit to remind Americans of the benefits of immigration.

I am trying to think of one that doesn't have more negatives than positives.

Bush should also insist on harsh penalties, including jail time, for business executives who hire illegal workers. If business owners weren't so eager to hire undocumented workers, the workers would be less likely to run the risk of crossing the border illegally.

I agree completely.

After his re-election, Bush confidently proclaimed that he had "earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it." One of his best investments would be a rational immigration policy.

I am afraid Hades will freeze over first.