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The Start to More Sensible Immigration Policies May Just be Around the Corner
January 16, 2009
by Jason MarczakWashington is abuzz this week. Yes, Beyonce will be sharing the stage with Garth Brooks at Sunday’s Lincoln Memorial concert, but a new tune also may be developing in regard to U.S. immigration policies. Both the incoming administration and congressional leaders have signaled that the chorus for ’09 may yet be a new, practical approach to fairer treatment of our nation’s immigrants.
For one, imminent changes are on the horizon at Homeland Security. At yesterday’s confirmation hearings, Secretary-designee Janet Napolitano again emphasized her sharp differences with the Bush administration’s program to build a fence along the Mexican border: “I don't think I would be giving good advice to the committee if I said that's the best way to protect our border." And Napolitano knows. As the Arizona governor, she has first-hand experience with securing the border. But more impotantly, under Napolitano, fixing the “broken” U.S. immigration system would be a priority.
This week we also saw President-elect Obama continuing the 28-year tradition of the U.S. president-elect meeting with his Mexican counterpart prior to inauguration. At a joint news conference with President Felipe Calderón, Obama underscored the importance of the bilateral relationship, vowing to open “a new page” on topics such as immigration. In the meeting, the Mexican press reports that Obama committed to enacting immigration reform that includes family unification. However, that news didn’t make it into the U.S. media.
But signs that sensible immigration reform is on the horizon were not limited to just the incoming executive branch. Congress, too, may take it up as early as September. Among his legislative priorities, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is calling immigration one of his top ten. And earlier this month on “Meet the Press,” he said that he would work across the aisle to get a deal. Reid noted that he has “McCain’s word that he’s going to work real, real hard on immigration reform.” Of course, McCain was the Republican leader behind the 2006 and 2007 attempts at national reform.
But what should immigration reform entail? In the Summer 2008 Americas Quarterly, Tamar Jacoby called for an answer that doesn’t just respond to the undocumented immigrants already here, but one that fixes the complex and failure-ridden immigration system. Perhaps a new look is needed for the entire premise on which visas are awarded so that they respond to changing labor needs. Why fix annual visas when employment needs are going to ebb and flow? But, as Obama has noted, the federal government must still step up and bring “the 12 million people who are here illegally out of the shadows.” That combined with securing the borders and punishing employers who exploit immigrant labor would be part of his potential package that begins to address the nation’s unwieldy immigration system.
During the campaign, Obama called immigration “a priority I will pursue from my very first day.” Well, that day is about here and all signs are increasingly pointing in the right direction. The economy will and should come first but immigration reform may yet be on the horizon.
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The expectations for a change
The expectations for a change in immigration policies are certainly high and as Jason Marczak points out, there are reasons to be optimistic, starting with some of Obama's appointments. As governor of Arizona and now as she outlines her positions as head of the DHS, Napolitano has demonstrated that she has a balanced approach that includes but is not limited to securing the border (and not by building more fences) and punishing employers that hire undocumented immigrants. Positive signs also come from the nomination of Cecilia Muñoz (former vice president of the National Council of La Raza) as the White House’s director of intergovernmental affairs ; Ken Salazar as Interior secretary; and Hilda Solís as the Labor secretary. In the short-term, the expectation is that even if comprehensive reform does not happen soon, at least there will be a change in the enforcement-only approach of the last years and that policies such as raids and the expansion of the fence along the U.S.-Mexico border will be modified.
It has been argued that given the importance of the Latino vote and their support for Obama and the Democratic Party in the 2008 elections, both the president and Congress will face growing pressures to promote a change in immigration policies that includes the regularization of undocumented immigrants who are already here. But even though Latino groups and coalitions have already started mobilizing and working to make this a priority issue, a Pew Hispanic Center recent study shows that Latinos' highest priority is not immigration (see http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=101). A reform that benefits their families and friends will certainly be welcomed but Latinos, like most Americans, want a solution to the economic situation first. In their list of priorities immigration places sixth after the economy, education, health care, national security and the environment. And even though Obama promised to make immigration a priority during his first year in office, he has also recognized that most of these issues, especially the economy, come first.
In weighing the political costs/benefits of promoting immigration reform, Obama and Congress will also have to deal with restrictionist groups that will emphasize factors such as rising unemployment to justify their opposition to policies that benefit foreign workers. In addition to the opposing views of many interest groups that are involved in this heated debate, one of the biggest obstacles for passing a comprehensive immigration reform package is the fact that there are misconceptions about immigrants and their costs/contributions that lead to anti-immigrant sentiments and opposition to regularization (considered an "amnesty" by some), temporary worker programs and more visas for foreign workers. The current economic situation will not make it easy to promote a message about the importance and contributions of immigrant labor for the U.S. economy.
But still...let's hope that Obama and Congress will be willing and able to use their political capital to advance on this issue. And let's keep working to promote a more balanced and informed debate that leads to policies that fix this "broken" immigration system.
-Alexandra Délano
A few corrections
Instead of saying "punishing employers who exploit immigrant labor", the article should have said "punishing employers who encourage illegal immigration by knowingly hiring illegal immigrant labor".
Some sort of legalization program for SOME (not all) of the 12-20 million illegal immigrants already here might be possible, but under no circumstances should they be given a path to citizenship. That is the greatest privilege America can bestow upon an immigrant, and it should be reserved SOLELY for those who came here legally in the first place.