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Obama Readying Immigration Overhaul Despite Political Risks

Posted by Raymond on January 5, 2010

From The Baltimore Sun:

The punishing battle over healthcare is still unresolved, but the Obama administration is quietly laying plans to take up another issue that could generate even more controversy and political division–a major overhaul of the nation’s immigration system.

Already, senior White House aides have privately assured Latino activists that the president will back legislation in 2010 to provide a road to citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented workers now living in the United States.

In a conference call with proponents, White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina, political director Patrick Gaspard and others recently delivered the message that the White House is committed to seeing a substantial immigration bill pass and wants to make sure allies are prepared for the fight.

In addition to the citizenship provision, the emerging plan will stress increased efforts to harden borders to make illegal entry more difficult. But that two-track approach has been rejected in the past by Republicans and other critics who insisted a border crackdown demonstrate its effectiveness before any action on citizenship could be considered.

[Read more at The Baltimore Sun]

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  • SecretSteve

    From a political perspective this is a horrible issue to take up in an election year…even a mid-term. It neatly divides both parties. On the left you have labor vs. pro-immigrant/integration camps and on the right you have business owners/big corporations that profit from cheap labor vs. blue collar Republicans and (let's face it) racists. On both sides you have people concerned about border security.

    The fundamental problem comes down to one thing, IMO. We don't enforce laws against employing undocumented workers, period. Enforce those laws against the biggest violators and the problem is reduced to almost nothing.

    What immigrants and their supporters don't realize, is that if they are given a path to citizenship…they will instantly find themselves competing with the next wave of illegals immigrants. Businesses don't hire illegals (just) becuase their wages are low…they hire them because they're illegal! Because they can be abused, fired, cheated without recourse! As soon as they become legal citizens they will find themselves the worse of three options for employers who can hire A) English speaking American-born, high-school educated workers, B) Illegals who don't have to be treated like humans or C) Non-English speaking, poorly educated Mexican immigrants who DO have to be treated like humans. I'm guessing option “C” will not be chosen as often as immigrants might think.

    So it all comes down to enforcment. Bust the bad bosses…solve the problem for everyone. And a lot more cheaply than building a fucking fence.

  • Tralphaz

    I think the next thing should be amnesty for bank robbers and included in that package is a bank account in which to put the money they stole.

  • SecretSteve

    Or we could let bank robbers buy off politicians so laws against bank robbery don't get enforced. It's a two way street. You can solve the problem cheaply at its source, or chase 8 million rabbits.