Andrew Friedman

Compromised on Immigration

As we prepare for millions to fill the streets later today to demand a just and comprehensive immigration form that includes a path to citizenship for undocumented workers, we need to get a handle on exactly what happenned in Washington at the end of last week.

With much fanfare, a senate compromise was announced. Essentially, it seems to have split the difference. The moderate Republicans suddenly dropped their high-handed sloganeering about never "rewarding law-breaking" by enabling undocumented immigrants to regularize their immigration status. Incoherently, they agreed to "reward" immigrants who broke the law over five years ago.

Of course, the path to citizenship is really about rewarding sustained work and immigrants' contributions to this country. It is also about keeping families together and integrating millions of people into our civil society.

But I digress.

The Democrats suddenly seemed willing to bring only 7 million or so people "out of the shadows," and to deport or leave hidden the rest.

The deal seems to have broken down because the Democrats objected to post-deal amendments being offered to the plan, and because the conservative Republicans would not follow their leaders and approve the plan. I can't help but wonder why it is that no Democrats stood up and said that the compromise plan would fail to really solve the immigration problem.

Why , in a moment of political strength, mass mobilization, Republican disarray and Presidential flailing, were the conservative Republicans the only ones who stuck to their guns?

From up in New York, this looks like another instance where the Democratic Party was all too willing to compromise on their core values.

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Posted at 8:21 AM, Apr 10, 2006 in Immigration
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