Why GOP Can't Close Deal on Illegal Immigration (4/1/06)

by Dean Hartwell

 

On so many issues, the Republican Party takes a position and closes its case on it.  Listen to GOP leaders discuss abortion, taxes and defense spending and you get the impression they believe there is no further debate necessary.

 

This firmness of conviction has attracted many followers, but not every issue lends itself to such certainty.  The Republicans are now really stuck on the issue of illegal immigration because they cannot reconcile different points of view within the party about it.

 

Traditionally, Republicans have called for stricter border control (i.e. Mexico) and penalties against those here illegally, including deportation.  Former California Republican Governor Pete Wilson supported Proposition 187, which deprived illegal immigrants and their children the right to public services.  Even after the courts found this initiative to be unconstitutional, Republicans like Pat Buchanan suggested erecting a large wall between the United States and Mexico.

 

But then-candidate George W. Bush decided that part of his strategy to win the White House in 2000 would be to capture a larger share of the Hispanic vote than before.  By not bashing illegal immigrants, he did well with Hispanics that year and even better in 2004.  As the president, he has proposed “guest worker” status “…that would allow the illegals a temporary legal status while performing unskilled jobs that Americans are not willing to do for the rock-bottom wages being offered.”[1]

His former nemesis, Republican John McCain has teamed up with liberal icon Ted Kennedy to introduce an immigration bill.  They offer more details than the president, including temporary visas to foreign workers for jobs that require little skill.  Applicants must abide by background checks and can stay up to six years on the visa, after which time they must go home or be close to getting a green card.[2]

On the other side of the party’s line on this issue, Representative James Sensenbrenner supports a bill that calls for a wall dividing the United States from Mexico, a la Buchanan.  He said, “Illegal aliens are not obeying the law, and if we don't enforce the law, we're simply going to get more and more illegal aliens flooding our hospitals, flooding our schools and causing the breakdown of our social services.”[3]

What will the Republicans do about this severe division within their party?  In the past, they could count on rallying their base by condemning illegal immigration and targeting the Democrats with being too soft on the issue.  They could use the emotional aspect of immigration as a way to drive a “wedge” in the Democrats and control the agenda of campaigns.

 

It may appear they will have to decide which goal they value more: the goal of ending illegal immigration in the United States or the goal of getting more Hispanics to vote for their party.  But I would suggest a sinister third goal here.  Many Republican business owners secretly want illegal immigration to continue so they won’t have to pay minimum wages, adhere to safety standards or follow other laws.

 

Instead, they want to complain about illegal immigration (because the Republicans still welcome this kind of talk) on the one hand and benefit from it on the other hand.  This duplicity makes it clear that the problem will not go away even if our leaders miraculously find a solution.

 

And what about the Democrats?  They need to get a clear grip on the issue.  Many in the party refer to the illegal immigrants as “undocumented aliens.”  This euphemism avoids the reality that people who come here to the United States without permission do, in fact, break the law.  They must understand that breaking the law is not inherently immoral (witness Rosa Parks, who broke the law by keeping her seat on the bus).  What lawbreaking may suggest is that the law itself should be changed.

 

There are no easy solutions to this problem.  But we as nation can stop employers from cheating their workers.  And we can make sure the workers pay their fair share for the services they take.  We need to mandate that no employer hire an illegal alien if those here legally want the job.  We need to ensure that employers pay all workers a living wage (which will increase prices, if we can handle it) and follow state and federal safety laws.  And we need to charge all workers a fair tax for their labor.  We won’t close the debate on illegal immigration, but we will close out the hypocrisy.

 

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