"Imagine a country with immigration laws that actually work."

Every time I write about the horrors of Donald Trump's racist immigration policies, somebody points out that Obama and the Democrats, GW Bush and the GOPers -- really all our politicians over the last twenty years -- weren't much better. These pols usually used different language about migrants. But they didn't or couldn't fix a muddle of laws, practices and enforcement decisions that denied people that employers were glad to have working here any chance to attain a sustainable legal status. Every policy twist and turn just complicated the living situation for people who had washed up here. A substantial majority of undocumented people in the US today have been here for a decade or more, but we can't seem to figure out how to deal with the reality of these neighbors and friends.

This ugly mess can't be allowed to fester on. The broad, fractious Democratic Party coalition intends to win democratic power some day. When we do, if we are ever to move beyond the current tangle called immigration "policy," we need direction deeper and more thoughtful that just "Abolish ICE" (though thoroughly reconstituting that unaccountable posse of enforcement bullies wouldn't hurt.)

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal from Washington State has made an ambitious attempt to suggest what a fair, humane, socially useful immigration policy framework might look like. I'm pulling out substantial portions of her proposal here. If we don't think ahead about where we want to go, we will never get there.

A New Moral Imagination on ImmigrationIt is critical that Americans understand that there currently is no orderly, functioning process for people to come to America. Under Presidents Reagan and Bush, there were superficial, temporary fixes, such as legalizations or “amnesties” for those who were undocumented at the time. But without underlying reform so that the system functions, we were bound to end up in the same place again. Most Republicans—and too many Democrats—have given in to the simplistic narratives supplied by anti-immigrant forces, throwing billions of taxpayer dollars into mass deportations, a vast labyrinth of expensive private prisons, and a border that is already one of the most secure and militarized in the world.

... Our prescription for recapturing the moral imagination of immigration must be grounded in a few central principles. We must state clearly our belief that our nation has the right to control who comes in and out at our borders, and knock down the Republican strawman that any Democrat who believes in fixing the immigration system and calls for humane policies actually believes in “open borders.” ...

An accountable, transparent, and humane plan of enforcement against both employers and employees who continue to break the law is vital, but it’s important to note that with an underlying system of laws that actually works and meets the needs of our economy, we will dramatically reduce the need for enforcement. ...

We should sing strongly the benefits of family immigration, which has been the bedrock of the US system since its founding—bringing us strivers of all kinds to fill jobs at every skill level. Family connections have also provided the essential support that immigrants need in order to integrate and become self-sufficient more quickly, contributing to the economy through their work, taxes, and civic contributions—think of grandparents taking care of grandchildren while parents work or of children taking care of aging parents. Those closest relatives who come in through the family-based system bring great benefits—to their families and to our economy—and their applications should be processed immediately. ...

While our immigration system should be updated regularly to prioritize certain industries that are seeing rapid growth and need workers, we also need a new set of domestic policies that address the problems of declining economic conditions for both American-born and immigrant workers. ...

At the same time, we must put resources into helping immigrants integrate rapidly in their new home. The sooner immigrants can learn to speak English (while preserving their own languages) and obtain the skills and training they need to realize their talents, the sooner our nation will see the economic and civic benefits of their presence. ...

Finally, we must recognize our strong national interest in development, diplomacy, and the protection of human rights around the world. Rather than using the blunt tool of a militaristic foreign policy, American investments in countries that uphold the rule of law pays off by encouraging people to make their own opportunities where they live, rather than feeling forced to make perilous migrations. The logical, cost-effective way to address the root causes of migration is to focus our efforts on building equitable economies and rights in countries that send the biggest flows of people to America.

... We can do this, and we must. Imagine a country with immigration laws that actually work. We would know who is in the country, and they would not be hiding in the shadows but getting to know their neighbors, investing in houses and cars, and becoming quintessential Americans. In our country’s history, immigration has never been just about policy. It has always been about who we are and what we are willing to stand up for. That is why a fair and forward-looking immigration system must be at the heart of America’s moral imagination.

Read it all.