Sunday, January 28, 2007
Editorial: Conditions are ripe for immigration reform
They may be uneasy allies, but with Democrats at the helm, Bush might have better luck with passage of his immigration overhauls.
From the RoundTable blog
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President Bush, trotting out his latest domestic initiatives during last week's State of the Union address, renewed the push for an immigration overhaul.
Here is where Bush may have his best chance for success across the partisan divide, and he deserves credit for once again bringing the issue to the forefront.
Bush called on Congress to pass comprehensive reform. Addressing the problem of illegal immigration and "delivering a secure, productive, orderly and fair system" is a must, he said.
Bush faces opposition from Republicans such as Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, who view reform proposals as rewarding illegal immigration with amnesty.
That position is not new. The same argument was front and center last fall when the Republican-led House derailed an immigration bill that included the creation of a temporary guest-worker program, and instead approved funding for 700 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Therein lies the challenge: defending the plan when the fight, so clearly, is uphill and the divide is so distinct.
But conditions now appear ripe for real reform. Renewed interest from Bush, with the shift to Democratic control of Congress, make for a more favorable climate.
There is increased pressure for reform from farmers, high-tech businesses and groups such as the League of United Latin American Citizens and the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization.
There is the lingering suspicion that Bush's new initiatives, immigration included, are intended to divert Democrats' eyes away from a primary focus: the war in Iraq.
Democrats are not about to fall for diversion. No one will ignore Iraq. But pressing problems like immigration should not be ignored either.
On immigration, Bush offers a glimmer of understanding that appears lacking elsewhere. Of the guest-worker program, he has said, "It's a compassionate way to treat people who come to our country."
The immigration debate has been allowed to drag on far too long, with only piecemeal resolution. Bush has proposed a reform plan that resolves -- "without animosity and without amnesty" -- the status of an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in this country.
It is time for substantive reform. The new congressional climate may offer the best opportunity.
