Can’t win immigration debate with border alone

Hub Staff | Posted: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 9:00 am
Republicans who resist reforms to U.S. immigration policy because Democrats would benefit eventually at the polls probably are right.


Someday when they can vote, these new citizens might feel indebted to the party that opened the doors of opportunity in the United States.


What’s hard to understand is why Republicans have adopted such a defensive, defeatist posture. Rather than tackling reform and being perceived as immigration problem solvers, many Republicans have dug in their heels.



They want our borders secured — which is necessary — but they’re divided or resistant on ideas that could have very positive effects on our nation’s economy.



One example is the idea there should be tighter limits on new visas. This is a risky stance, especially if such limits frighten away foreign-born graduates of U.S. universities.



Our nation’s economy badly needs these people who are highly educated and skilled in math and science. But if tighter visa limits prevent their families from joining these skilled immigrants in the United States, they’ll look elsewhere for more enlightened immigration policies, such as in Germany or Australia.



Similarly, clamping down in worker visas is risky because immigrants fill about 10 percent of the jobs in our country. Many are doing the work nobody else desires.



The only way to really understand the prevailing GOP position on immigration reform is to view it through the prism of politics. Conservatives are fearful of strengthening Democrats’ appeal among future voters.

This is a pessimistic, “glass-half-full” approach and is unbefitting a party that has long taken pride in championing a strong U.S. economy and balanced federal budget.



What better way to help the economy than to fuel it with the workers it needs? And what better way to attack federal fiscal problems than by giving immigrants a path to legality while adding them to the tax roles?



“Immigration makes us stronger. It keeps us vibrant. It keeps us hungry. It keeps us prosperous,” President Obama said at a recent naturalization ceremony.



Democrats are attracting generations of new supporters each day Republicans strike an obstructionist stance on immigration reform. If the GOP can’t find a way for immigrants to feel comfortable in the United States, they may never feel comfortable in the conservative party.


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