One more time, with gusto
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t is often observed that in the case of some illnesses, the cures are worse than the diseases. The same might well apply to immigration reform, depending on which way this nation's leadership turns in the coming months.
President Bush, a year out from first undertaking an effort to boost the number of Border Patrol agents and to construct a long section of a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, says he's redoubling his efforts to push a serious immigration-reform bill through Congress. This is at least the third time he's announced his intentions on the issue -- the first was prior to 9/11, and the second was about a year ago. Maybe if he's lucky -- and the nation, too -- the third time will be the charm.
Heaven knows we need some new way of dealing with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants who are living -- and many working -- in the United States. It has been our experience on these opinion pages that the immigration issue is the most divisive of all, eclipsing even the intemperate arguments over abortion rights, guns and religion. Everyone has their own ideas about what to do and, more fundamentally, what needs to be done (two separate issues, in fact), but there is not much agreement to be had.
The president hopes a compromise can be reached on Capitol Hill. And while we join him in that bright and shining optimism, we fear another stalemate or, worse, a train wreck that could make things even worse.
In typical fashion, the policymakers are taking a dual-track approach to the issue of reform. The public face of the movement is the president, making speeches along the Mexican border, promising further enhancements in Border Patrol agents, promoting a temporary-worker program, promising to crack down on companies that knowingly employ illegals and a process to allow many illegals -- who have been employed and not committing crimes besides immigration violations -- an opportunity to become legal U.S. residents and, eventually, citizens.
But the details of the administration's plan may be such that few, if any, illegals will avail themselves of the opportunity to become legalized.
Because so many in Congress are currently opposed to anything that has even the whiff of amnesty -- however it's defined -- the White House has floated a trial balloon that fixes expensive costs for a special new "Z" visa, and an arduous and expensive application process for residency and citizenship.
The so-called Z-visa would last three years and be perpetually renewable, but would cost $3,500. If an illegal was interested in someday obtaining citizenship, that person would have to travel back to their home country, make application at a U.S. consulate and surrender as much as $10,000 in fines to set themselves right with Uncle Sam.
For the fortunate few who have the income to afford these fees and fines, that's all well and good. But for the rest this looks like nothing but an incentive to remain under the radar and, as such, illegal. These steps toward legal residence and citizenship may be popular with hard-liners in the Congress, but they are being unrealistic.
The thing is, most illegals who come to this country -- and find employment in the Top of Utah -- are here for the money. Asking legal, gainfully employed Americans to cough up between $3,500 and $10,000 would fail. To imagine that those who work off the books or for minimal wages to pay those sums, we're guessing, would also be met with stony silence.
Arriving at a compromise on immigration reform will require give and take on both sides, but in the end there better be an actual solution to the problem -- otherwise the debate remains what it currently is: just a lot of noise.
(Editor's note: Tomorrow, our editorial looks at the futile nature of attempting to police illegal immigration in the Top of Utah.)
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