Don't let extremists derail immigration reform

By ALBERTO R. GONZALES
KINGHT RIDDER/TRIBUNE
There is a broad consensus in America on the issue of immigration. Extreme views, however, are polarizing the debate and preventing mainstream voices from being heard.
The American consensus reflects our character as a welcoming and a law-abiding nation. As the country's chief law enforcement officer and the grandson of immigrants, my life reflects that character. I have seen the American Dream become a reality in my extended family, and I look forward to seeing my sons live the dream as well.
To preserve the American Dream, Congress must show leadership at this decisive moment in our history. Congress should affirm both our nation's interests and its values: interests in security and economic prosperity, and values of generosity and equal opportunity. In the arena of extreme positions and polarizing rhetoric, these interests and values seem incompatible. In reality, they are not. Few supporters of the enforcement-only approach believe that America would be better off with fewer immigrants, and few who believe that America should be a welcoming nation believe that it should have lawless, open borders -- particularly after 9/11.
A demand for vigorous enforcement of our laws is -- and should be -- the foundation of our national consensus. That means committing more resources and personnel to the Border Patrol and leveraging the efforts of local law enforcement and the National Guard at the border. Because of the president's leadership, we are doing this. Since Sept. 11, 2001, immigration prosecutions are up more than 40 percent. Prosecutions for immigration crimes, which accounted for 20 percent of all federal criminal prosecutions in 2000, accounted for fully 25 percent of all prosecutions in 2005.
Border enforcement
There is still much we can and must do. We are strengthening illegal immigration enforcement within our nation's interior as well as at our borders. We are developing and deploying new technologies to detect border violations and introducing a tamper-proof identity card. We will send back the illegal immigrants we catch and deter still more from attempting to enter illegally.
What we must keep in mind is that an illegal immigrant population of more than 11 million people will not depart overnight. It simply is unrealistic to believe that we could make it so. How then do we make a seemingly impossible task a manageable problem? The administration's efforts over the last five years are a start, but comprehensive immigration reform is needed.
A temporary worker program that meets the needs of our economy would establish meaningful and realistic rules in an area where the law now is too often ignored. Immigration would be channeled and controlled, so that it continues to energize our nation but does not overwhelm us.
With comprehensive reform, both employees and employers know that there are rules that must be followed. Illegal immigrants should have to pay a meaningful penalty for breaking the law, including paying their taxes. If they want to work and reside in the United States, and enjoy the benefits of our great nation, they should learn English -- the language of opportunity. Those who qualify under the law should be allowed to apply for the privilege of citizenship.
Comprehensive reform would enhance our nation's security. If otherwise law-abiding workers are allowed to enter and to work within the parameters of the law, then law enforcement can focus on those who are more likely to pose a genuine danger. This is not a question of trading the possible admission of terrorists on the one hand for a booming construction industry on the other. The quiet national consensus rightly calls for both security and a flourishing economy.
Principle
I appreciate the passionate arguments of those who oppose comprehensive immigration reform. I would urge, however, that legislators be both principled and practical, and recognize that, for all the interest-group rhetoric, we all have more in common on these issues than we often recognize -- most Americans, after all, want a secure, law-abiding society and a confident, welcoming, economically prosperous one.
The arguments have been made. Let Congress now show leadership and act for the national interest at this time of choosing.
Alberto R. Gonzales is U.S. attorney general. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.