New Report: Breaking the Immigration Stalemate

Published October 14, 2009 @ 10:41AM PT

It seems like a busy week for immigration reform as everyone is simply coming out with their own set of principles and policy proposals.

After Charles Schumer (D-NY) revealed his seven pillars in June but failed to deliver a bill by Labor Day, Representative Luis Gutierrez went ahead with his own set of principles and he promises a bill by the end of November.

Immigration reform legislation would probably follow the recommendations and findings of the bi-partisan Council on Foreign Relations report.

But a new Brookings Institute report here, from the Brookings-Duke Immigration Policy Roundtable constituting academics and think tanks, aims to go from deep disagreements to constructive proposals. Lets examine these tenets.

The United States Should Dramatically Reduce Illegal Immigration by Linking Workplace Verification and Legalization

Congress Should Eliminate Diversity Visas, Restrict Eligibility for Family-Sponsored Visas, and Increase Visas for Skilled Immigrants

Congress Should Improve Temporary Worker Programs and Bolster Labor Market Protections

Congress Should Establish an Independent Standing Commission on Immigration

Public and Private Sectors Alike Should Increase Efforts to Assimilate and Integrate New Americans

The United States Should Engage Mexico

Still, the report is lacking and contradictory. It proposes a legalization program for people who have lived here for 5 or more years while never addressing those that don't meet the criteria, leaving an estimated 3.5 million still undocumented. And not allowing 'family unity' by restricting family-based visas to just minor children simply encourages more unauthorized immigration as adult children and siblings are left out without a legal pathway to citizenship. Legislation for same-sex bi-national couples is not even mentioned in the report.

These proposals may break the stalemate, but they would do little to fix the broken system of immigration in this country. At this point, we don't need more reports. What we need is sound legislation that puts human beings above mere politics.

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Comments (2)

I hope we do not have an Immigration Reform bill that leaves anyone out. If they were to leave 3.5 million people "undocumented" than it looks like the fight isn't over. Immigration Reform is not going to work unless it allows all the "undocumented" to step forward. It looks like this kind of proposal again is all about proposing a almost 1/3 of a workforce left behind to continue the "cheap labor" underground. This is not a solution to a healthy America and fair competetive workplace.

Posted by Mary Pranzatelli on 10/14/2009 @ 08:26PM PT
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These proposals seem to be better than the priciples in the other topic.

Posted by Estudar * on 10/18/2009 @ 08:41PM PT
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Author

Prerna obtained her Masters degree in International Relations in 2007 and took a hiatus from academia. During this break, she co-founded DreamActivist.org and helped launch a program for immigrant youth in the Bay Area (S4FC). Currently, she is also a Managing Editor at The Sanctuary. Views expressed on this blog are her own and not that of any organization currently affiliated with her. Contact email - prerna@change.org