Today the editors of the Washington Post declaim confidently: “Immigration reform is back at square one. But the way forward is clear.” I don’t find it nearly as clear and this paragraph from their editorial illustrates why:
There are available solutions if Congress could overcome its horror of bipartisan compromise. The goal should be to establish a realistic annual quota of immigrant visas for Central Americans, Haitians and others desperate to reach this country who otherwise will cross the border illegally — a number that recognizes the U.S. labor market’s demand for such employees. That must be supplemented by a muscular guest worker program that enables legal border crossing for migrants who want to support families remaining in their home countries.
I support a “muscular guest worker program” and I also support “realistic annual quota” but, sadly, even if those were implemented effectively and rigorously, it wouldn’t resolve the problem. As Gallup found 750 million people would like to leave their home countries if they could. More than half of the population of the “Northern Triangle” wants to move. By far the greatest number (158 million)—greater than the next five countries put together—want to emigrate to the U. S.
Said another way there is no quota, no practical number that would result in some people not being turned away. What has blocked compromise to date is that there is one faction that is unwilling to accept any more immigrants and another that is unwilling to turn anyone away. There is no meeting of minds there.
A couple of years ago a compromise deal was available to resolve the conundrum of the “Dreamers”, the beneficiaries of President Obama’s DACA executive order. It failed because the progressives in Congress wanted to extend the order to the Dreamers’ parents (and maybe a general amnesty) and that was unacceptable to many Congressional Republicans.
No, no clear answer.
But first off Joe Biden needs to learn he lives in a glass house.
When he suggests to his progressive wing that he emphasizes with immigrants who want family reunification, porous borders and so on,
the entire third world hears him and packs their bags.
Why were repatriated Haitians mad enough to actually bite our immigration agents? They invested everything they could beg steal or borrow on the trip north. They returned with nothing, to nothing.
“Build That Wall†is likely to be dusted off and used again because Biden’s only immigration policy is to appear to be humanitarian .
Biden’s immigration policy will be a response to changing circumstances just like those of every other president. He won’t be able to have it both ways.
“What has blocked compromise to date is that there is one faction that is unwilling to accept any more immigrants and another that is unwilling to turn anyone away.”
Perhaps those unwilling to accept any understand what happens when the camel gets its nose under the tent.
At one time the income tax was only supposed to affect the top 3% of earners. And what ever happened to a couple weeks to bend the curve? How about a mask……………….or two……………or three. Or a vaccine. Or, well, a vaccine plus a booster. How many pages exist in the books on regulation? Has it ever gone down? And you know, this woke thing is just a few idealistic kids on campus……………..until you get told how to think at work that is.
There is nothing so permanent and expansive as a temporary government program or policy……
What I meant, Dave, is Democrats can open the borders, but can they open them and stay in office?