Living in America

The immigration debate is a story about recognizing reality. Tonight in his television address, President Obama laid out his plan for dealing with it. The major effect of his executive order will be to allow some five million people now living in this country illegally (I’ve never understood this “undocumented” stuff – useless euphemism IMHO), to remain, without fear of being deported, and be able to get work permits.

That’s a lot of people. And the reality is, they’re HERE. Can you make them all disappear? Mr. Obama isn’t stupid. This order is also about keeping families together, and it’s being issued as we approach the biggest family time of the year.

The Congress can’t discuss this matter civilly and resolve it, and the President is trying to move things forward. When the quarterback can’t find anyone to pass to, sometimes he decides to run with ball himself. Usually he doesn’t get very far, but he tries anyway.

Look, here’s some more reality. This issue is complicated, but fixable, maybe only piece by piece. The immigration regulations we have now are tweaked all the time to fit our needs. Congress has done it before. There’s a program called EB-5, which gives foreign investors special immigration status here if they open a large business in this country that creates jobs. And if it were determined that the U.S. suddenly needed left-handed widget-twisters from Indonesia, the rules would be adjusted to let them in. All countries do things like this.

Certainly we have to secure the borders. But as porous as they may be in some places, they’re impregnable in others. How many horror stories have there been of Americans trying to return to this country after traveling to Canada and being detained on this side of the border for six hours or more for no stated reason? It happened to a friend of mine who is white, and whose name doesn’t sound remotely Hispanic – or Middle Eastern.

What would be the impact on our economy if the five million people in question were forced to leave? First of all, it would likely be a much more expensive prospect to make them disappear than to keep them. And what jobs wouldn’t be done, what consumer prices would skyrocket, if these folks weren’t among us?

Did the President exceed his authority? Did he sour relations with Congress (like they’re any good now)? Very likely, yes to both. Pity the poor immigrants in the middle, whose heads must be spinning, wondering where they stand. But instead of simply trying to knock down what the President has done and prolong the torture, can the current members of Congress actually take steps to deal with this issue, as their predecessors did? It doesn’t have to be perfect. But it does have to be realistic. Just pass a bill.