The last major immigration reform legislation passed under President Ronald Reagan in 1986 — 40 years ago. Democrats have been pushing for comprehensive reform for years. Republicans have persistently responded that the border had to be closed first.
Well, President Trump has now done that. So, is comprehensive immigration legislation now possible?
It needs to be done. The recent protests in Minnesota and other parts of the country are the result of a dysfunctional immigration system, which former President Joe Biden’s open-borders policies pushed up to and perhaps past the breaking point. Immigration reform legislation won’t be easy, especially since some factions see political benefits in keeping it broken.
But to fix it under a Republican president with a Republican Congress is the best way to ensure immigration reform doesn’t become a blank check for welfare benefits and easy citizenship. Here are some of the necessary ingredients.
Immigration reform needs to be bipartisan. The issue is too politically fraught to push through something every Democrat opposes. That means Democrats have to get something politically out of it, even if Republicans aren’t wild about the concessions.