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Mike on Immigration

We are a nation of immigrants, enriched, in large part, because of their work, but we cannot accommodate everyone who wishes to live here. We are also a nation of laws that should not be broken with impunity. I seek to balance openness to newcomers with reasonable care for our citizens and legal immigrants. For several years now, Congress has attempted to implement immigration reform. Some of those efforts were clearly insufficient. I voted against H.R. 4437: the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, which passed the House in December of 2005. We should secure our borders and stiffen penalties for employers who knowingly employ illegal aliens, but enforcement is only part of the answer. This legislation did not advance further.

Legislation passed by the Senate in 2006, S. 2611, appeared to combine enforcement with realism about our economic needs, but this legislation ultimately stalled. We cannot and should not attempt to deport every undocumented alien. Their numbers are conservatively estimated at 11 or 12 million. Most of the adults are gainfully employed, and some, with long residence and good moral character, should be given an opportunity to eventually become citizens. We can disagree about how many, required length of residence, the amount of fine imposed, but we must recognize that many undocumented persons have become essential members of our society.

In the last Congress the House passed H.R. 5281: the DREAM Act. This legislation is designed to address the status of young persons who were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents when they themselves were small children. Those eligible would be granted conditional legal residence in the United States which could become permanent legal residence if they successfully complete two years of post-secondary education or military service. Only after thirteen years could they apply to become US citizens. This bill was narrowly drawn and set forth careful criteria for eligibility. It did not pass the Senate but I hope that it can become part of a comprehensive approach to immigration reform.

I do not support the concept of "guest workers." There may be a need in some sectors of the economy for seasonal workers, but I would oppose any measure that granted work visas without the prospect of eventually seeking citizenship. We need a better understanding of how many new workers we require each year, in what sectors of the economy, with what skills, but, as a nation, we must remain open to talent. More than one third of the Nobel Prizes won by Americans were awarded to citizens born elsewhere. Our universities, research institutes, and teaching hospitals must continue to attract the world's most brilliant scholars and scientists. The debate over immigration has become unduly bitter. It is time for reasonable people to agree on reasonable policies.

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