Immigration Editorials
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Suppose for a moment that the Senate's immigration bill, unveiled Thursday amid great fanfare, becomes law this year. Here's a partial, multibillion-dollar to-do list for the Department of Homeland Security...
The intricate proposal now before the full Senate is far from perfect. But it is also far better than the status quo, and, just as important, it has a realistic shot at becoming law.
Nothing like it has been seen in the history of this republic: lawmakers from both sides of the immigration debate agreeing to legalize 12 million illegal immigrants in a single initiative.
The obstacle course laid out for those immigrants to become permanent residents -- let alone citizens -- seems unnecessarily tortuous.
A bipartisan group of senators has produced the outline of a compromise immigration bill that, while not perfect, represents an important first step toward comprehensive reform.
If nearly everyone hates it, it may be OK. That's the reaction in some quarters to the immigration compromise hammered out by a handful of senators this week. Debate on the bill could open Monday.
The fire and fury over a new bipartisan compromise on comprehensive immigration reform in the U.S. Senate misses the big picture:
The framework of this bill is solid. There is something for folks on each side of the debate.
A tip of the hat is in order for the bipartisan group that negotiated the framework for immigration reform announced this week. Illegal immigration is a complex, divisive problem that the nation has to solve, and the agreement is a solid point of departure for the debate to come. But with contentious details yet to be resolved, reform is far from guaranteed.
A bipartisan group of senators and President Bush have done the nation a great service by delivering the outlines of a workable plan for immigration reform.
That in itself is a significant breakthrough in an era when bipartisanship and compromise are all too rare. Now, it's crucial that the rest of Congress work diligently to reach agreement.
The plan that emerged after two months of closed-door wrangling was immediately attacked from the left and the right, one side condemning it as anti-family and anti-American and the other condemning it as too lenient on lawbreakers. It's just that kind of intractable talk that had threatened to kill any hope for compromise -- and maybe still will.
For now, at least, there is a bill to debate. Let's pause to applaud that accomplishment before hell breaks loose on the Senate floor.
Finally, after years of inaction, political dodge ball and head-butting, it looks as if the Senate has drafted a potential winner on comprehensive immigration reform.
It's overdue. It's about time that this nation is on its way to dealing realistically with the complex problem of illegal immigration in a manner that attends to its vexing economic, national security, tax and social aspects.
The Senate should act quickly and urge the House to do likewise.
Immigration reform took a huge and promising step forward Thursday. The policies recommended by key Senate negotiators and supported by President Bush would accomplish much of what's needed to restore a rational immigration policy that is both fair and humane.
The exact language of the bipartisan bill has yet to be worked out, and concerns linger about some issues.
Like many, we're not entirely happy with the deal crafted by Congress last week. But that said, let's not hyperventilate in our anger. The bill is a compromise and, even now, still a work in progress.
