Despite all the current talk about immigration reform and the assurances that comprehensive legislation is at hand, one should stop short of believing that it is a done deal. After all, this is Washington, D.C., we’re talking about.
Yet, one can’t escape the feeling that a tipping point has been reached and this particular political football can no longer be safely kicked down the road. To do so would only spell trouble for both major political parties.
As the November election demonstrated, Latinos can be expected to show up at the polls in increasing numbers. And if they are serious about remaining in power, elected officials are going to have to not only make more of an effort to court this growing constituency, but make good on campaign promises as well.
That the system is broken is no longer up for debate. The question now is how do we fix a system that has steadily failed on many fronts.
What we now have are a pair of proposals that on the surface seem sensible starting points, in comparison to some of the obvious nonstarters of the not-too-distant past — remember self-deportation?
One positive sign to emerge is that in many instances, the Senate “Gang of Eight’s” plan and the president’s plan reflect each other in certain respects. Both call for enhanced border security, a “tough but fair” path to citizenship and an overhaul of the immigration system.
Likewise, where they differ also is of extreme importance. The so-called border security trigger seems to be an initial sticking point, but one that we hope results in a compromise that allows something to move forward.
Just as with previous reform attempts, lines will be drawn in the sand that may spell doom for the proposed legislation. But unlike previous attempts, we now have enough momentum and what appears to be bipartisan agreement. Add to this Obama’s thinly veiled threat to advance his own bill should Congress fail to deliver, and we not only have compelling political theater but history in the making.
We expect that the heavy lifting and the fine tuning will eventually produce some workable piece of legislation. We also expect that not everyone will be happy with the final result. But, the current situation should not be allowed to continue. To sum up our position, the president may have said it best himself: “The time is now. Now is the time.”
THE ISSUE:
Comprehensive immigration reform
WE SAY:
It’s about time.
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
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