Better Tools For Reform Than in ’86

[Geee]

Human Events:

Tuesday, as Barack Obama called for a bipartisan immigration bill in Las Vegas and Sen. Marco Rubio called for one on Rush Limbaugh’s program, the chances for passage look surprisingly good.

But in some quarters — mostly from the right, but also from liberals like blogger Mickey Kaus — comes a complaint that deserves to be addressed.

We tried this once already, they say, in the 1986 immigration act. We were told that in return for legalization of illegal immigrants we would get tough border control and strict enforcement against employers who hired illegals.

We got the amnesty, these folks say, but we didn’t get effective border control or workplace enforcement. We got instead a huge flow of illegals, who number 11 million now.

Why should anything be different this time? It’s a reasonable question, and I think there are reasonable answers. And let’s not charge anyone with racism here. After all, illegal immigrants have, by definition, done something illegal. And legalization involves some element of forgiveness.

[Draggingtree]

Rubio says no ‘legal right’ to immigrate illegally

http://www.humanevents.com/2013/01/29/marco-rubio-addresses-the-senate-on-immigration-reform/