Immigration (February 2010)

The United States is in a jobs crisis, but what may seem like dark horizons ahead (with unemployment at 10 percent nationally and 10.1 percent in San Diego), we should take comfort that we already have the tools to put Americans back to work. What is that tool? Immigration reform. The question is, Do we have the will to reform our immigration policies without rewarding criminal activity?

When it comes to the issue of immigration, what quickly comes to American minds? Given that reporters repeatedly write about immigrants crossing the Mexican-U.S. border, the likely response: Hispanics. This focus, unfortunately, has devolved into deleterious scapegoating of immigrants from Central and South America. This is hardly a fair burden for Hispanics to carry, as immigration realities are much more diverse.

Speaking about America’s unemployment problem on Nov. 2, President Obama expressed a desire for new ideas on how to create good-paying jobs. The president stated that “if somebody can show me a strategy that’s going to work, then we are happy to consider it.”

Last week, President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address spoke extensively and eloquently about the economy. Regrettably, he missed a key point: We cannot get on the road to financial recovery and growth without enacting comprehensive immigration reform.

Although much has been said about President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, buried deep within the text were words that auger a potential battle comparable to the stimulus package, cap-and-trade and healthcare.