Immigration on front burner, despite inaction by Congress

President Obama’s decision to allow some illegal immigrants to stay in the country was political, plain and simple. The reaction from Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, to Obama’s decision was political, plain and simple. With the obvious out of the way, let a thoughtful, objective discussion about this highly charged issue begin.

The president and his Republican challenger owe it to the country to clearly lay out how they would stop the influx of illegal aliens, but also to deal with the 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country. And, they should tell the American people how they intend to get any legislation through a dysfunctional Congress.

Immigration remains one of the most intractable issues in the country because it is so political. Republicans have used it successfully to win at the polls. The 2010 midterm elections showed that the GOP’s strategy of using words such as “amnesty” to describe any initiative that addresses the illegal immigration problem resonates with the voters. As a result, the Dream Act, which seeks to give conditional permanent residency status to certain illegals, is languishing in Congress. It is noteworthy that the legislation was first proposed in 2001 by two senators, one Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, and the other a Republican, Orrin Hatch of Utah. Since then, there have been different versions, including one in 2010 which passed the House but failed in the Senate.

We have been highly critical of President Obama for failing to make immigration a major priority for his first term in office. In one editorial we warned that Obama’s decision not to push for a comprehensive immigration reform bill would result in Arizona’s controversial law targeting illegal immigrants being replicated around the country. We have been proven right. A growing number of states are adopting their own laws because Congress has failed to act, and this week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a key provision of Arizona’s law — the court did strike down several other provisions — will simply embolden those who want to take matters into their own hands.

The opponents of any legislative measure contend that the borders must be secured first, and then the issue of the 12 million illegal aliens can be addressed.

While we have long agreed that communities along the U.S.-Mexico border need help because they are susceptible to crime, including murder and robbery, and to the destruction of private property, we do not believe a state-by-state response is the answer.

Immigration reform must occur in Washington, with the president leading the charge.

Presidential debate

By announcing the policy change as it applies to undocumented immigrants who can prove they came to the country under the age of 16 and have lived here for five consecutive years, President Obama has laid the foundation for a presidential debate on the subject.

By permitting these individuals to stay in the country without fear of being deported, Obama has delivered a clear message to the ever-important Hispanic community that he intends to deal with the issue in a fair manner. Romney, who must be careful given the anti-immigrant sentiments of the Republican Party’s right wing, has not provided a clear answer to the question, “What would you do about illegal immigration?” He has bobbed and weaved, but he must know the issue is now on the front burner of the presidential election.