Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
At least one editor of The Arizona Republic appears to be OK with the Republican National Committee (RNC) position of "no citizenship for you!" in immigration reform. The Republic editorials have previously been supportive of the "Gang of Eight" comprehensive immigration reform bill sponsored by Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake.
Joanna Allhands, writes Does Salmon have the right immigration answer?
It’s becoming increasingly clear that the immigration reforms most likely to pass the U.S. House won’t involve a path to citizenship for adults. Too many in the GOP simply won’t go for it.
But can reform still be meaningful without that piece?
U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon, one of the Republicans who remains against the path to citizenship, is pressing to grant undocumented adults a type of provisional status that they can renew every few years. It would allow them to get driver’s licenses and work here legally as long as they are employed and don’t break the law. But it would just be that: presence, not belonging.
When asked Wednesday during a meeting with The Republic‘s editorial board if such a status would create a second class of citizens, Salmon answered with a question: “Well, what are they now? … They’re not really anything.”
Offering legal presence, he said, at least moves the ball up the field.
Salmon would make other changes. He’d vastly raise the caps on visas for foreign workers and supports a faster, merit-based immigration system. [H1-B visas for specialty occupations.] It shouldn’t matter where you’re from, he says, but what skills you bring to the table. And it shouldn’t take anyone years to get here.
He’s also open to a path to citizenship for “dreamers,” because he says they aren’t culpable for breaking the law, but he wants better defined goals and metrics for border security first. [A moving target that will never be met, making citizenship an illusory promise.] Let’s not just throw money at the problem, he says.
Give Salmon props: He has met with people on all sides of the issue and has clearly given this some thought. I agree with a lot of what he proposes — or, at least, I could live with it.
How mighty white of you. I'll bet your colleague Linda Valdez has some choice words for you (probably not fit to print in a family newspaper). Allhands attempts to redeeem herself, however:
Still, I can’t help but come back to that initial question: If adults don’t get a path to citizenship, even a long and arduous one, will we be back in another 10 years trying to fix the inequities we created by allowing people to exist but not belong?
U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., explains his approach to immigration reform, including better border-security metrics and a much larger guest-worker program. (Video) Salmon: Don't just throw cash at border.
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