U.S. Border Control

Can you imagine it? Yeah, I can, too.

November18, 2005

Congress may take the easy way out.

Can you imagine politicians doing that?

Yeah. We can, too.

We cheered last month when Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said the Senate would take up immigration bills early next year. We knew it would take hard work and political courage to come up with the kind of comprehensive solution necessary to deal with the crisis of illegal immigration.

Put the emphasis on "courage" and "comprehensive."

Recent reports suggest politicians might opt for the easy way out given that midterm elections are looming.

Can you imagine politicians doing that?

Yeah. We can, too.

So here's the clarification: Immigration reform has to deal with the tough stuff. It has to go beyond the enforcement-only or so-called "enforcement first" approach being touted by Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., and others.

Enforcement-only is the policy that's been pursued for years and has failed miserably to stem illegal immigration. Passing a tough-sounding bill would give politicians some sound bites to use during campaigns next fall.

But it won't solve the problem. Neither will a high-tech fence along the southern border. As long as there's demand for immigrant labor, people will find a way.

That's why it was sad news when Arizona's Rep. Jeff Flake suggested to Republic reporter Mike Madden that Congress might settle for an enforcement-only bill as "a way to say, 'Hey, we're doing something.' " He correctly added that such a bill wouldn't make much difference.

In, fact, it would be worse than doing nothing. It would ease the pressure and let Congress duck the hard work of real reform.

Can you imagine politicians doing that?

Yeah. We can, too.

Flake, Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., came up with the kind of comprehensive bill that fixes the current unenforceable polities. It includes enhanced enforcement and intelligent, effective use of technology. But it goes further.

It addresses the needs of business for immigrant workers by creating a guest-worker program. It will make tough enforcement of laws against hiring undocumented immigrants possible by creating an easy-to-use system to verify an applicant's immigration status.

Currently, employers have no way of knowing whether the documents an applicant presents are authentic. Laws against hiring the undocumented are not enforced, in part, because they are largely unenforceable.

Reform also has to address the estimated 11 million immigrants currently living here. They are an important part of the nation's workforce. The McCain-Kolbe-Flake bill slaps them with a fine, but keeps them on the job.

That's a realistic and courageous position.

It's so much easier to demagogue the issue. So we'd like to remind the nation's elected officials that they were put in office to rise above the easy way.

Immigration reform demands more than a sound-bite solution.

It needs to be done right.

Can you imagine politicians doing that?

Yeah. We can, too.

But only if you hold them accountable.