Republicans say immigration reform is DOA in 2011
The Washington Post reports that Republicans are announcing any immigration reforms including the Dream Act dead on arrival in the next Congress.
They say the question is border security.
The Dream Act and other immigration reforms in the USA have been held hostage by one party or the other for several years looking for whatever advantage it might gain at the polls. The problem with this approach is that our immigration problems have reached critical mass. This was evidenced in 2007 when Oklahoma passed House Bill 1804. While it was in many places ill advised, its motivation, in part, sprang from the inability of the federal government to enact responsible immigration policy and laws. Other states, including Arizona, picked up this approach as Congress has failed again and again to make meaningful modifications to our immigration process.
The only change that has happened since passage of HB1804 was the stepped up enforcement started by former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. This enforcement has been ratcheted up even more under the Obama administration. This includes policing of the border.
I think that before 2007 the “secure the borders” and “enforce the existing laws” argument was valid. That was then.
In 2010, that argument is just political posturing of the worse sort. A long time ago, one of my friends taught me about the word, “responsible.” I’ve used that word in many jury trials. People understand what is responsible. Those who advocate for responsible immigration laws need to start using this word in holding our elected officials accountable. Because in 2010, they are acting very irresponsibly. In 2011, it appears their irresponsibility will only get worse when it comes to immigration.
Next time you get to talk to an elected official, tell him or her that the voters elect them to act responsibly. And, remind them, if appropriate, that acting responsibly extends to our immigration laws.
Update August 15, 2013
It’s interesting to note that two years later the House appears to be still stuck on the same issue. Time and time again in my work I see that there is little to no border protection on the northern border while we have heavily militarized southern border. Anyhow, it is 2013, that politicians are still using border security on the southern border as an excuse not to act on much needed immigration reform. And so it goes.