Another view
Curtesy of "www.maggio-kattar.com"
Legalization Legislation
Immigrant communities nationwide have been buzzing about a new “amnesty” program since
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Ridge said in early December that the
national security would be enhanced if undocumented immigrants were legalized. A few weeks
later, Washington policy wonks more accurately characterized the proposed changes as
“earned legalization” after the White House announced that President Bush soon would unveil a
comprehensive immigration reform program. It is virtually certain that an amnesty program,
such as the 1986 legislation that gave permanent resident status to many living in the United
States unlawfully, will not be proposed. Instead, it is anticipated that foreign nationals
employed in the United States for some time in a job for which there is a demonstrated labor
market shortage will first receive a temporary legal status. After some time of continued
employment, their temporary visa can be changed into permanent resident status. There is talk
that millions of undocumented workers, most of whom are Mexicans, will be eligible for “earned
legalization,” if the proposed legislation becomes law.
Election year politics loom even larger here than in the H-1B debate. Obviously, the growing
Hispanic electorate has a keen interest in immigration reform. Moreover, it is not coincidental
that President Bush will announce his immigration reform and legalization program in
conjunction with his January trip to Mexico. It is revealing, too, that Karl Rove, the President’s
most important political advisor and strategist, is taking the lead in shaping this proposal.
Politics, like politicians, is always more volatile than predictable, and comprehensive
immigration reform faces many obstacles. First, there is the issue of time. The legislative
process is always slow, and even more so during an election year when every politician’s
principal concern is getting elected. This means more time will be spent kissing babies and
asking for money than working in Washington. Additionally, it is unlikely that the Democrats
will want the Republicans to get credit for immigration reforms. Likewise, if the Democrats seek
to claim this issue as their own by offering a more comprehensive immigration reform program,
the Congressional Republican majority will stand in the way. It must also be said, however, that
immigration, perhaps more than any other issue, brings about unlikely political bedfellows.
Immigration frequently defies party affiliation and standard conservative/liberal labels. Indeed,
the “left-right” coalition that sometimes jells around immigration issues actually could result in
long overdue improvements in immigration law and policy in 2004. Let’s hope so.
