State of the Union
I wonder when immigration will be addressed. Lots of references to commissions and agenda items. Jobs, taxes, schools, college, healthcare reform, even a shout out for child obesity. Recovery program. Housing. Government spending. Campaign Funding. Supreme Court. Confirmations. Iraq. Military withdrawal. Military families. Haiti. Civil rights. Hate crimes. Gays in the military. Equal pay.
Finally – “And we should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system — to secure our borders, enforce our laws, and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nations.”
I wish I could say this surprises me. Right now immigration is an afterthought. If other things get accomplished then maybe immigration will get addressed. Until those other more important items get addressed it will remain on the back burner. It does not matter that immigration can raise revenue or create jobs. All the recent studies show how reform creates opportunity.
I have to add, I am in Manila right now. When you fill out your disembarkation card, there is a note. “Foreigners, want indefinite stay? Give jobs to at least ten (10) Filipinos and stay indefinitely in the Philippines under SVEG (Special Visa for Employment Generation).” In the US we have something like this, but it also requires 500K to 1MM, in addition to the job creation. I am not saying that is the solution, but it is certainly an example of what we need to do while workling on comprehensive reform.
I just wish more people saw the connection between the current top line agenda items and immigration. Well I guess that will be the challenge. There is a lot of hard work ahead.
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