Editorial: Only better U.S. system will fix immigration

Tuesday, September 02, 2008 3:00 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend | Hickory Daily Record

If the federal government had a sensible federal immigration policy that secured borders and provided a path to legal status, North Carolina residents and lawmakers would not have to tackle the problem of illegal immigrants.

North Carolina is floundering as it tries to address the issue of illegal immigrants. Measures the General Assembly has put into place to address illegal immigrants, such as making it tougher to get a driver's license, prohibiting state government from hiring illegals and the state community college system's decision recently to ban illegal immigrants from attending the institutions, are woefully inadequate.

N.C. Rep. Ray Warren spoke on the issue recently at Hickory's First Presbyterian Church, which hosted a series of discussions on immigration reform. Warren said the federal government must find a solution to the growing number illegal immigrants in our nation.

"It will take Congress and an agreeable president, and they're going to have to sit down and work out a policy to determine a process for legal status," he said. We agree.

The reality is immigrants, legal and illegal, add to the richness and values of our communities. They are committed to the American dream and its family values. They lead by example through their hard work and good citizenship, aside from their residency status.

It is up to the community and government to make America work for everyone.Whites are likely to cease being a majority around the mid-2050s. At the same time, the number of Hispanics in our country is projected to grow to 103 million by 2050.

An estimated 1.8 million immigrant children live in America today and their parents brought them here illegally. To most of these children, the United States is the only home they have ever known. And most will be part of our country's future.

The nation's immigration system is broken, and Washington has done nothing to fix it. Our borders are being overrun daily with people looking for a better life. And we have no practical plan for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants who are already here and crucial to the economy.

The United States needs to secure its borders. It needs a way for people who are here illegally to pay fines, complete requirements and become legal. It needs a realistic system for workers who want to come here legally.