The immigration reform plan announced on Monday by a bipartisan group of senators may not appear to be the cure-all for the massive immigration problem of the United States, but the mere fact that the Republicans and Democrats are finally talking to find a solution to the decades-long question is something to be hopeful about.
Under the compromise proposal reached by eight leading senators — four each from the deeply divided Democrats and Republicans — undocumented immigrants would be allowed to register with the government, pay a fine, and then be given “probationary legal status” allowing them to live and work without fear of being deported, provided they pass criminal background checks and pay back taxes and fines.
The road to citizenship, however, will stay closed until a state-federal commission has certified that the border was secure and that a system was in place to make sure that visa holders aren’t overstaying. These undocumented immigrants also would not get green cards until everyone else already in line for permanent residency have received theirs.
While these conditions would make the path to citizenship long, bumpy and circuitous, at least the Republicans, who have opposed any proposal that would resemble “amnesty,” may now be willing to open a road to the legalization of the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US.
It may not be much, but for the first time since Congress last passed a comprehensive immigration law in 1986, the Republicans have realized they need to patch things up with the ever-growing Latino population, 70 percent of which gave their vote to President Barack Obama in last November’s presidential election, and probably also with the fast-growing Asian-American sector, which also favors legalization to undocumented immigrants.
Confronted with this shocking realization and by the fact that recent surveys have shown a changing sentiment of Americans on the issue of illegal immigrants, many Republicans may now be more than willing to compromise their previously rock-hard stance on the issue of granting legal status to some, if not all, of the undocumented immigrants.
Earlier this month, an Associated Press poll showed that 62 percent of Americans — including 53 percent of Republicans — favor a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the US. The survey also showed that when it comes to fixing the system, Americans said they trust Democrats more than Republicans, 41 percent to 34 percent.
Many Republican leaders, especially those who are known to be eyeing the presidential nomination in 2016, are changing their stance on the issue. For example, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, co-wrote an op-ed article in The Wall Street Journal last week, saying, “The best way to prevent illegal immigration is to make sure that we have a fair and workable system of legal immigration.”
Among the eight senators who drafted the proposal are Republican Senators John McCain of Arizona and Marco Rubio of Florida, who were both very vocal against any form of “amnesty” for years. Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who was a leading opponent of past efforts in Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform law, delivered a speech on the Senate floor acknowledging the need for reforms. Conservative Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida praised the Senate outline.
The other good news is that a bipartisan group in the House of Representatives is also reportedly close to unveiling its own immigration proposals. The day after the Senate bipartisan group announced their plan, President Obama was scheduled to announce his own immigration reform agenda in Las Vegas, a plan which many believe would offer an easier path to legalization.
Both sides of the political divide may have finally come to the realization that their extremist views for and against immigration reform can no longer hold, and that they must find a middle ground to put a balance to the need to stop illegal immigration on one side, and the need to make these undocumented immigrants a chance to become more productive residents of this great country and to satisfy the need of many businesses, particularly the agricultural sector, for workers willing and able to do the job.
It is easy to be skeptical about the senators’ proposal, considering that it wouldn’t open at once the path to citizenship, but the good thing here is that there may finally be a consensus to open the door – albeit not completely — to these 11 million undocumented immigrants.
The senators’ plan envisions faster citizenship paths for immigrants with advanced degrees, farm workers, and the young students known as Dreamers — not something to be ecstatic about, but something that offers hope that eventually, the rest of the undocumented immigrants would eventually find their place in the American sun.
It will definitely be an uphill battle, but with many Republican leaders willing to listen to the voice of the people, it may not be insurmountable after all. We may just have to make our voices louder.
(valabelgas@aol.com)