It is argued that no program of immigration reform can be successful without first
securing America's borders. Yet doing so involves some controversial measures. The U.S.
Border Patrol must be increased in numbers and given improved technology. The current
policy of "catch and release"-releasing illegal immigrants into the general population to
await a court hearing-must be replaced by expanding the capacity to detain them until their hearings are held and expediting their judicial proceedings-a policy of "catch and
return." Illegal immigrants convicted of a crime must be deported immediately after serving
their prison sentences.Finally, cities that offer "sanctuary"-cities that prohibit police from
informing U.S. immigration officials of the arrest of illegal immigrants-must be dissuaded
from doing so.
Beyond these border enforcement efforts, additional measures could be put into place
to deter businesses from hiring illegal immigrants. Social Security numbers could be checked
through a national database. Social Security cards must be made more difficult to counterfeit.
States could deny drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants and make licenses more difficult
to counterfeit.
But immigration reform must also deal with the millions of undocumented immigrants
already in the country. And it must recognize the fact that immigrants labor plays an
important role in our economy. Some legal channel must be devised for persons currently
living illegally in United States to win permanent residency and perhaps the opportunity
for citizenship after living and working in the country for a specified number of years.
(The wold amnesty is now politically unacceptable; some other term must be used to
describe how current illegals can gain legitimate status.) And some sort of highly controlled
temporary worker Program must be devised to provide the labor that the nation seems to need. But again, these reforms cannot be put in place until the nation's borders are controlled.
Mass Opinion. Americans are more concerned that steps be taken to halt the flow of immigrants slipping in at the border than they are about the government developing a plan for dealing with the illegal immigrants already living here. Americans also believe that illegal immigration can be reduced by instituting tough penalties.for businesses that hire illegal immigrants. But Americans also believe that'undocumented immigrants currently living here should be given a path to citizenship (63 percent) as opposed to the more drastic action of deporting them (18 percent). Among those who support a path to citizenship, the most common requirements mentioned are: have a job (89 percent), learn to speak English (84 percent), pass a health screening test (83 percent), pay all taxes owed on past income earned in the United States (Bl percent),and have lived in United States for'at least five years (67 percent).