A Proposal for Barack Obama on Illegal Immigration

There is a clear and present danger that the Republican Party will exploit illegal immigration in the 2008 Presidential election in the same way that they were able to ride the gay marriage issue to victory in 2004. Democrats are generally avoiding the issue, but when pressed, each of them professes support for "comprehensive immigration reform" that would combine stepped-up border security and workplace enforcement with an earned legalization program. For evidence that this response is unsatisfactory, one need look no further than the unprecedented public outcry that twice killed the exact same proposal in Congress. Even worse, that opposition was directed most specifically at the part of the proposal most closely associated with the Democrats - legalization.

The reality that Democrats seem unable to face is that any effort to normalize the status of illegal immigrants will alienate a huge portion of the electorate. Witness the fates of Gray Davis and Elliot Spitzer, both Democratic governors of deeply blue states, in the wake of their respective attempts to grant driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. Hillary Clinton's campaign was headed toward the safe shores of inevitability until her equivocating response to the driver's license issue opened a floodgate of criticism. Still smarting at the next debate two weeks later, she delivered a very UN-equivocal one-word response to the same question - "No" - and watched Barack Obama fall into the exact same trap. Given that these stumbles occurred in Democratic debates where none of the candidates is seeking to distinguish themselves on this issue, we can only imagine the pounding the Democratic nominee will take when faced with a Republican nominee like Rudolph Giuliani, who promises "tough" action on illegal immigration.

So the Democrats appear caught once again between a deeply held majority opinion and one of their core constituencies - this time Latinos. But all is not lost. I think that buried in the noise around this issue is a simple, elegant solution that a Democrat can wholeheartedly embrace. My suggestion proceeds from the very legitimate, universally accepted rationale behind comprehensive immigration reform: our legal immigration system is broken. Democrats are correct in advocating for a "fix" to this dysfunction. As mentioned above, however, normalizing the status of illegal immigrants currently in the country is not a viable solution. At the same time, an "enforcement-only" approach would wreak havoc on the Democratic coalition.

A better comprehensive immigration reform approach would be to replace the legalization plank with one in favor of substantially increasing the quotas for regular permanent resident visas. These are the famous "green cards" that do not require a sponsoring employer and allow their holders to work freely in the U.S. and, after five years, apply for full citizenship. Family reunification, potential to contribute to our economy and national diversity are already the priorities for these programs. Applicants are required to apply from their country of origin and known previous immigration violators are barred temporarily or permanently, depending on the nature of their offense.

Illegal immigrants, having voluntarily returned home, can apply for these visas, but with no special advantage or disadvantage. By significantly increasing the number of these visas available and improving processing times, however, many, if not most, current illegal immigrants would likely qualify and be able to quickly return to their communities with minimal disruption to their lives. Already, more of these visas go to Mexican immigrants than to those of any other nation. To the extent that their applications were unsuccessful, it would be in favor of similar applicants with even closer ties to America.

This proposal is neither amnesty nor mass deportation. By creating a powerful incentive for illegal immigrants to voluntarily repatriate and apply to enter legally, we would greatly reduce the pressure at the border and at workplaces. We would also, however, provide a true "path to citizenship" and a better life for many illegal immigrants without rewarding the fact that they broke the law. It would increase our ability to enhance our economy and society through our immigration policy. It prioritizes keeping families together. The proportion of citizens and permanent residents in immigrant communities would greatly increase, creating a host of benefits for them and for America. And it would actually fix to our broken system.

I sincerely believe that Barack Obama is uniquely situated to advocate for such a proposal. It does not directly contradict anything in his current platform and would reinforce his reputation for creating solutions that transcend the divisive and polarizing politics of the past. As a person of color and son of an immigrant himself, he’d be relatively immune to charges from immigrant rights extremists of racism and xenophobia. His charisma, integrity and character would allow him to initiate conversations with potential opponents that others couldn’t.

As a campaign strategy, taking a strong stand on ending illegal immigration would also allow Obama to increase his appeal to the blue-collar voters who have been slow to catch on to his candidacy to this point and who are key to a Democratic victory in the general election. Through his advocacy of increasing the quotas for family reunification visas, he would also be creating new opportunities to deepen his base of support in Latino, Asian and other immigrant communities. In the general election, he would put any Republican opponent on the defensive by forcing them to oppose legal immigration.

It is this final point that is most critical. Democrats should stand strongly for immigration when it’s done the right way – legally. Immigration is the story of America -- the vast majority of us proudly trace our ancestry beyond our borders. But so is the rule of law. Republicans who oppose even legal immigration would be exposed as the true xenophobes and racists that they are in utter contrast to everything that Barack Obama represents and everything that most Americans aspire to be. That can only be a win for my candidate.