This time around, immigration reform is here to stay post-election. An all-in-one bill in the works as of Monday afternoon incorporates a systematic overhaul of current immigration laws, including a path to citizenship for the 11 million-plus illegal immigrants in the United States.
A compromise (for once) was made in the increasingly polarized political forum that is Congress: Democrats would get a single bill that does not deny any illegal immigrant from obtaining citizenship and Republicans relented on the condition that the policies not be implemented until there is a strong border enforcement in place.
Considered a major victory for Democrats, the bill also outlines proposals that will exempt children of illegal immigrants from many requirements for citizenship and allocate more visas for highly technical workers in fields like science, engineering and mathematics.
The overarching question is how and when a “stringent” border enforcement will be in place, or better yet, defined, under the new immigration bill that will be satisfactory enough to please Republicans.
The 2012 Presidential Election left many die-hard Republicans soul-searching, and looking for ways to reach the ever-diverse voters that were crucial for President Obama’s re-election campaign. And with nearly seven out of 10 votes by Latinos in support of Obama, Republicans knew they were being sold short by the ever-increasing minority masses.
Alluding to the loss of the Hispanic vote, Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) mentioned the importance of reaching out to Latino voters on issues that are historically contentious for that demographic: immigration.
“We can’t go on forever with 11 million people living in this country in the shadows in an illegal status,” McCain said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos.”
The idea of tackling immigration reform in one sweeping measure rather than in small bits and pieces exemplifies the effort for bipartisanship in Congress, something President Obama will almost certainly need in a Republican-dominated House.
Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida), heralded by many as a likely Republican candidate for the 2016 election, agreed with the principles of the bill. In a recent Las Vegas Review-Journal column, Rubio outlined the need for changes to the agricultural workers and visa programs, the amount of border patrol personnel, and most importantly, illegal immigrants that are already in the United States.
While Rubio noted most illegal immigrants are not dangerous criminals, they should also not be painted as victims.
“They knowingly broke our immigration laws and do not have a legal right to remain here. But they are also human beings who made those choices in pursuit of a dream we recognize as the American dream,” he wrote.
Call it a Republicans’ change of heart. Call it progress. Immigration is one of many complex issues that creates a divisive GOP and short-sided Democrats and Republicans.
The reality is the pathway to citizenship is a long and arduous process. And with or without documents, many illegal immigrants are here to stay.