Small Thinking Sinks Immigration Reform Bill

An editorial appearing on the LA Times sums up the regretable fact that the US Senates' Immigration Reform Bill has failed. With all the intransigence from both parties, I am sure that this grand failure has happened in spite of the best efforts from president Bush. As the editorial states, the main points of contention are the proposals to grants amnesty to illegal immigrants on the one side and the effects of immigrants on the wages of US citizens on the other. Without doubt, these are matters that concern a number of senators.

The sorry thing about the claims is that this grand failure resolves neither of them and the failure to take the bill forward through compromise is a classic illustration of posturing. Even if the number of illegal immigrants is a mere fraction of the 12 million estimate, it is highly unlikely that all can be effectively identified, rounded up and effective deportation orders achieved against them. Thinking of the costs to tax payers and the expended time of law enforcement officers, this is obviously not wise use of US tax payers money. As for the second concern that immigrant labor depresses the wages of low income earners, a myriad of studies have shown that the overall effect is not only positive in the medium term, but further that the effect is often temporary and of a low intensity.

What this failure to think broadly should portend for most of the senators is that this issue will have to be brought back for discussion at a later date. Immigration reform ought to be viewed more realistically and should not be an excuse for job losses that will occur anyway (to the Democrats). As for the other argument about the need to flex muscles about to express displeasure at illegal immigration and illegal extension of stay in the US; it may help to consider thinking of that fact as a sunk cost and not worthy of disproportionate expenditure in the quest for a reversal.