Living legally

For once, I'm agreeing with President Bush on something. \nImmigration has long been a hot-button issue, but it's on the front page now because of legislation currently being considered. In December, the House passed HR 4437, which proposes to build 700 miles of wall between the United States and Mexico and make assisting an illegal immigrant (even in a humanitarian way) a felony. It provides no provisions to create a guest-worker program or a path to legalization for illegal immigrants. Another bill, sponsored by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and pending in the Senate, would create a path to legal status for the estimated 10 million to 12 million illegal immigrants currently in the United States. \n"You cannot enforce the border without having a temporary guest worker program," Bush told CNN this week. "The two go hand in hand. There are people doing jobs Americans will not do." \nHe has a point. Nobody is going to argue that illegal immigrants tend to take the jobs that no one else will do, and if you give people the option of staying legally (albeit with a penalty fine), they're probably going to do so. Politically, it also makes sense for most people. The Democrats would be expected to largely support it, but given the GOP's struggle to win over Latino voters, it would make sense for Republicans to support it. \n"If our answer to the fastest-growing demographic in this country is that 'We want to make felons of your grandparents, and we want to put people in jail who are helping your neighbors and people related to you,' then we're going to suffer mightily," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said. "Let's solve the problem in a comprehensive way -- a firm, fair pathway to citizenship." \nThe legal resident proposal makes sense in a lot of ways. Those living illegally in the United States would be allowed to register, pay a fine and start working toward becoming naturalized citizens. It's not an easy road. I probably wouldn't fulfill some of the requirements imposed on immigrants. Letting these people admit that they were here illegally, be punished and start anew with legal status seems, ultimately, to be the American thing to do. This is the land of new beginnings, and that \nmeans for everyone. \nThe existence of this bill means that we all acknowledge that the problem is out of hand. What that means depends on whom you're talking to. If we mass-issue green cards, we can essentially start at zero. Everyone in America would be either a citizen or a legal resident, and those who aren't put themselves in danger of being deported. At the same time, we need to make it easier for people to get legal status in the first place. I'm not an economist, I'm not an immigration lawyer and I'm not on the front lines of this struggle, on either side. But from where I'm standing, it seems that this might mean we take a hit right now while ensuring our country a \nmore stable future.