Immigration should top Obama's list of priorities

Monday, Jan. 05, 2009

In this new year, Congress and the next president, Barack Obama, must solve the nation's immigration problem in a way that's fair to all parties. When it comes to the fallout over a failed immigration policy, we're ground zero in the San Joaquin Valley.

We need immigrants to harvest and pack our crops, but illegal immigration also strains our public resources, especially taxpayer-funded medical services. Local agencies end up having to pay for the federal government's inability to craft an immigration solution.

Continuing to delay action because of an unwillingness to find a political compromise makes the issue that much more difficult to resolve. It's time for leadership on this issue from Obama and Congress.

A comprehensive immigration reform must have three main elements:

* Enhanced border security to limit the growth of the problem, and make our nation safer from terrorists intent on doing damage.

* A fair guest-worker program that provides industries needing foreign laborers a reliable pool of workers.

* An opportunity for those already here illegally to earn legal residency if they meet strict requirements, including paying fines and showing they have had a responsible work history.

There are those who say deport them all, but that simplistic solution does not take in the immensity of the problem. There are far too many illegal immigrants in this country to deport. They should not go to the head of the line, but they should have an opportunity to earn their status in a way that makes sense for the nation's security.

Obama must be a leader on immigration reform. President George W. Bush offered a solid immigration reform plan, but it was killed in the U.S. Senate in 2007 by Republicans and Democrats.

Obama has many issues on his agenda, but this is one that must be attacked early. A delay will only lead to immigration gridlock.

It's time for more moderate members of both parties to craft a compromise that can get through Congress and get the president's signature. We can't let the extremists win again on this issue.

The massive and costly illegal immigration problem won't go away by ignoring it.
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