As Congress grapples with a push for the first major immigration reform in more than a quarter century, attention has understandably focused on what Americans think about this important issue. Too often, however, surveys that take the public’s pulse present a simple take-it-or-leave-it option: Do you support a path to citizenship for the 11 million … Continue reading »
immigration reform
Immigrants and historical amnesia
In the debates over social policies, one often hears historical claims roughly along these lines: “Minorities these days want it easy. When my ancestors came they got no help and just did it on their own.” Arguments like this have been raised against programs designed to help African Americans. In his classic 1981 study, A … Continue reading »
Building connections (not more walls) along the U.S.-Mexico border
As the immigration debate heats up in Washington, D.C., and around the country, various interest groups are lining up to make sure they get what they want from reform, whether it’s more fences, protections for American workers, visas for qualified high-tech workers, or increased immigration quotas for specific nations. One important group has so far … Continue reading »
Immigration and political clout
Two hot-button social issues seem to be moving to some sort of political resolution rather quickly. Their stories tell us something about the nature of attitudes Americans hold on such topics and also about the nature of American politics. One issue is gay marriage. It appears that, whether de jure or de facto, most gays … Continue reading »
What immigration reform could mean for American workers, and why the AFL-CIO is embracing it
Their agreement is very preliminary and hasn’t yet even been blessed by the so-called Gang of Eight Senators working on immigration reform, but the mere fact that AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and Chamber of Commerce President Thomas J. Donohue agreed on anything is remarkable. The question is whether it’s a good deal for American workers. … Continue reading »
U.S. Senators visit U.S.-Mexico border: Guess what they saw
Four U.S. Senators came to visit the Arizona border. Hosted by John McCain, Republican of Arizona, they were members of the so-called ‘Gang of 8’ — a bipartisan group currently drafting proposals for comprehensive immigration reform. During their visit, the senators reportedly witnessed a migrant trying to scale the border wall before being apprehended by … Continue reading »
Kafka at the border
A little-known paradox in debates on immigration reform is the ongoing fortification of the United States-Mexico border, which is occurring at the same time as the number of official ports of entry between the two countries is expanding. Not lost on residents on both sides of the border is the irony that the US is … Continue reading »