Illegal Immigration Policy: The Current Evolution of Thought and Practice

"Immigration is becoming a hot-button social issue that is going to rival abortion, gay rights, guns and the death penalty," predicted Larry Sabato, Director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Others also predict it will present itself as a key issue in the 2006 congressional elections and in the 2008 presidential race.

An issue that is dividing both parties - Democrats and Republicans - equally, the spotlight was shone on this issue when Governors from two states bordering Mexico (New Mexico and Arizona) declared a state of emergency due to escalating violence directed at law enforcement, damage to property and livestock, increased drug smuggling, and the ever-increasing number of undocumented immigrants who, according to these officials, are depleting economic resources.

The population of illegal aliens surged to more than 10 million last year. In response, 2005 has seen a growing gap between those who would support integration of illegal immigrants who are already here, and those who would support stronger enforcement and penalties for violating immigration laws.

In the Republican Camp, President Bush has disappointed some members of his party by taking a softer approach to the challenge of illegal immigration. He is struggling to balance the interests of big businesses and farms - who claim they benefit from the cheap labor provided by illegal immigrants - with the interest of homeland security. Other Republicans are taking aggressive steps within their jurisdictions to foster change and enforce tougher laws.

In the Democrat camp, some are aligning with conservative politicians and taking a hard-line approach to the issue of illegal immigration. These include poor Democrats and African-Americans, who are wary of the growing economic and political clout Latin-Americans have begun to wield in the US. Others - those generally classified as affluent, well-educated liberals - are embracing immigration as part of cultural diversity.

In short, both parties remain split, and on all sides, individuals are careful about how they present their positions; it is feared that saying words to the effect of "Get the illegal immigrants out of here" will result in damaging accusations of racism and bigotry.

Both sides agree that change is needed.

• The Senate reneged on its promise to hire 2,000 new Border Patrol Agents - hiring only half of the requested figure.
• Senators failed to fulfill commitment to provide 8,000 new detention beds, adding just over 2,000.
• The Border Patrol now releases 90% of the people they catch through voluntary repatriation.
• Since October, a significant homeland security issue has presented itself in the form of 70,000 illegal aliens from countries other than Mexico, who have been stopped and later released into our country because we don't have enough facilities or beds.

In the absence of sufficient/decisive federal action, one solution has been a move toward volunteer support for border patrol. One group - The Minutemen - have been fulfilling this role, and according to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, "have done a terrific job." In fact, the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus reported that "Nearly every individual Border Patrol officer who spoke off-the-record in the field to the Caucus Team said that illegal immigration had virtually stopped in the sector patrolled by the Minutemen as a direct result of Minutemen activity and publicity. Leaders of this volunteer group now plans to spread more than 1,000 volunteers along the Arizona border.

President bush on the other hand has referred to the group as "vigilantes," and rejected the idea.

Article Contines: Read about recent events and positions that represent various approaches to the illegal immigration issue.