Immigration Compromise

John McIntyre suggests this compromise in immigration:

Republicans need to craft a compromise that puts in place a program to shut down the illegal flow, which upon the proven success of dramatically halting illegal immigration will trigger a process that provides a pathway to citizenship for the millions of illegals who have been here for years. This is the type of broad-based compromise that the majority of the American people can support and it will put the onus on the Democrats to put up or shut up about whether they are serious about halting illegal immigration.

This has a lot of potential. If we could establish that the border was, for the most part, secure, Americans could stop worrying about criminals and terrorists and a flood of uneducated, poverty-stricken, non-English speaking immigrants. Then we could address the illegals who are already here. I suspect that a secure border would drain support from the "no amnesty" position.

I know there are a number of right-wing bloggers who would oppose this because they feel every last illegal should be deported. Those bloggers make a strong case about how unfair it is to legal immigrants to allow illegals to stay, but I have always felt that they just aren't being practical.

Here in Kansas City, we have two cases that illustrate the impracticality of their stance. Myrna Dick is accused of falsely claiming American citizenship at the Mexican border to enter the US. She has since married a citizen with whom she has an adorable citizen toddler. She is being deported, so every time there is a development in her case, we see this lovely middle-class family on the news. I'm sure we'll see the tearful departure when she leaves her baby and gets on the plane. I'm sure I'll be crying too.

We also periodically hear from a woman and two young boys whose husband/father was deported back to Jamaica, also for claiming citizenship at the border. They sold their house to pay an immigration lawyer to tell them there was nothing that could be done. Evil lawyer = bonus tears.

Perhaps Americans should be strong and boot all these law-breakers out of the country. It is our right. But I wouldn't bet the farm on our ability to withstand a few million tearful goodbyes.

(via Instapundit)