The immigration battle consumed front pages this past week and has hit a nationwide nerve that goes to the core of security concerns and the future of the American labor force. As illegal immigration reaches unprecedented heights ' an estimated three million undocumented immigrants come into the United States every year ' it has become increasingly clear that whoever finds a solution to this convoluted issue will make quite a statement to voters.
But what that statement will be is unclear. President Bush has rattled fellow Republicans by supporting the Senate Judiciary Committee's version of an immigration reform bill that might not remain intact after deliberations on the Senate floor. Although the Bush-supported bill would tighten security along the Mexican border, it would also create a guest-worker program that would allow for immigrants already living in the US to achieve legal status.
Those on all sides of the issue agree that, to combat the steady stream of illegal immigration from Mexico, border control must be stronger. But even a concrete wall will not stop people driven by the possibility of a better livelihood from working in the country, even if only for a few years. The drive for immigration is especially heightened when the opportunities of American businesses looking for cheap labor are wide open. Although it is impossible to stop illegal immigration, border security must take measures to put us back in control of the situation.
The other side of the issue is determining what to do with the some 12 million undocumented immigrants already within American borders, which is where divisions in reformation ideals come raging to the forefront. The gray area between amnesty and mass deportation is the distinction that will be most difficult to manage. Bush has been dancing around amnesty by supporting permanent residency through the price of waiting six years, paying $2000 in fines, paying back taxes, undergoing a background check and learning English. This is hardly the easy way out and, if successfully monitored, hardly an incentive for more immigrants to forego the legal process.
Can we help that America is economically appealing for those who seek better work opportunities? Of course not. And lawmakers should not oppose legal immigration. But the immigration reform bill that comes out of the Senate by the end of this week should not only tighten security along the border, but also seek to provide opportunities to those who wait in line for their chance at working in America.
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