My must read of the day is "Immigration Reform Is a Moral Imperative," by Ralph Reed and Russell Moore in the Wall Street Journal:
Republicans in the House of Representatives—sensing the political winds at their backs heading into the midterm election and distrustful of President Obama's willingness to enforce the law—have opted to do nothing about immigration. Their strategy is shortsighted.
Reform will require moral courage and leadership, but it is necessary. Because of the federal government's failure to secure the border, antiquated policies and a patchwork of conflicting regulations, there are now millions of people who have overstayed visas or crossed our borders illegally. The current system is inadequate for the country's needs, and it is inequitable as well.
Whenever advocates bring up immigration reform and hammer in the "imperative" of passing comprehensive reform immediately, I always wonder why it has to occur right this second. What makes now the end-all be-all for immigration reform?
Unemployment is still high at 6.7 percent, 3.8 million are long-term unemployed, and Americans are still trying to gain back the wealth they lost during the recession. Until those issues improve, it seems nonsensical to expect—or even ask—Americans to worry about immigration.
The notion that right now is the most important moment for reform doesn't make sense. Most people don't see it as directly impacting them, and they have other worries. Yes, there are eleven million people living here undocumented. That has to be addressed, but wouldn't it be wise to wait until Americans feel that, overall, they're doing better and living in a positive economic climate?