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Exclusive: Seeking Security on the Border with Mike Pence
Molly McCarroll
Author: Molly McCarroll
Source: The Family Security Foundation, Inc.
Date: June 21, 2006



Even though illegal immigration is one of the most important priorities of the American people, it looks like Congress is more interested in political posturing than seeking solutions to the problem. This apparent lack of urgency and willingness to listen makes Rep. Mike Pence’s recent proposal all the more interesting. Building on the excellent suggestion of Helen Krieble, a concerned Colorado resident, he has proposed a plan that will put border security first and then implement a guest worker program free from the bureaucratic red tape of a new government program. Well done, Rep. Pence and many kudos to Helen Krieble!

Seeking Security on the Border with Mike Pence
Molly McCarroll
June 21, 2006

Despite the overwhelming demand of the American people, immigration reform is in real danger of stalling in Congress as the Senate and the House of Representatives seek to enact fundamentally different legislation. So far, each house has dug in its heels and proclaimed its vision of reform as being too important even to debate. While such intransigence may give lawmakers the freedom to cite their commitment to principle when election time rolls around, it robs the American people of the action they need and the solutions they demand from their government. If the ultimate outcome of this debate, which looks increasingly possible, is a failure to reach any solution whatsoever, the United States will not only have not gotten its money’s worth from its government, but it will also continue to be plagued by the dangerous uncertainty that characterizes the immigration crisis today.

Into this maelstrom comes Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) with the most promising potential solution yet. Building on the foundation of the House bill’s strong border security program, Pence’s plan, inspired by Helen Krieble, a concerned private citizen, would require the implementation of technological and human resources to stop illegal border crossings, the construction of a border fence, and the discontinuation of the “catch-and-release” policy that sends illegal immigrants back onto our nation’s streets, as the necessary first steps. Only when these hurdles had been crossed would the second portion of his plan come into play. In this phase, he would implement a viable guest worker program that, along with a path to citizenship identical to that pursued by all legal immigrants, could only be entered into from outside the country. In other words, illegal immigrants would have to leave the country before they could seek legal status. Rather than implementing these changes by creating an unwieldy new bureaucracy, Pence would establish local “Ellis Island Centers” that would serve as liaisons between individuals wishing to enter the country as guest workers, American employers seeking foreign workers, and the appropriate government agencies to provide documentation and background checks.

The future of Pence’s plan is not certain. It is also probable that many Senators who are already feeling pressure from illegal immigrants’ interest groups and various business lobbies will be unwilling to support a bill that would disrupt the lives of immigrants and the profits of employers. But Rep. Pence has offered an interesting and appealing third way. His plan balances the need to defend America’s borders with the economic realities of globalization. The incentive for foreign workers to enter the United States, earn an income they could never achieve at home, and then to return to the countries and cultures that they love has never been higher. But this certainly does not mean that the United States should sacrifice its own security and stability to serve the greedy hand of commerce.

While Pence’s plan has merit, it remains to be seen whether it will be successful. Accomplishment seems to have lost its appeal in Congress these days and there is much to suggest that our elected representatives would rather be on the record saying the right things than actually get their hands dirty and make some progress. But if Congress cannot get its act together and pass a bill, even though that bill will undoubtedly leave much of the divided country dissatisfied, our leaders themselves will lose just as much as we will. Border security and immigration reform are essentials, not options. Bravo to Rep. Pence for having the courage to seek a solution.
Rep. Pence's WSJ Opinion Journal Article

Molly McCarroll is the Editorial Director of FamilySecurityMatters.org and has an M.A. in National Security from the Institute of World Politics in Washington, DC.