COMMON SENSE IMMIGRATION REFORM

Unlike some people, I like divided government. I believe the founding fathers were right to believe that divided government protects our liberties. The federal government seems to operate best when one branch or chamber is controlled by one party and the other party controlls the other parts.

My hope is that in the next two years we can have some more sensible, moderate actions from Congress and the President than we have seen in a while. One area that I hope we can address is immigration reform. Peggy Noonan has a very thought-provoking article today on this issue: http://opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110009288.

I have a hard time listening to news coverage of political debate on this issue, because I, like many Americans, have competing impulses and values. 10 seconds of news coverage cannot do justice to the nuance of the issue - in fact it is doing much harm.

On the one hand, I believe passionately that immigration has been one of true goods of American history. To move to another country takes ambition and drive, and it is that kind of drive and determination that has fueled American accomplishment. In fact as I look at our decadent and complascent society today, I believe that in many ways the only thing that will keep America thriving is the drive and determination of immigrants-often the best and the brightest, the vulnerable and abused from other nations coming here to experience the freedom to accomplish what they could not in their own lands.

I hate, too, the xenophobia and prejudice that fuels the anti-immigrant movement. One friend who works with Latinos here in Lexington sees and hears about this ugliness on a daily basis. Christians should not reflect this attitude in any way. Repeatedly the Bible teaches that God is the special protector of the widow, the orphan and the stranger - the stranger being a person from another land. I am always amazed that Christians on the right who can whip themselves into a fervor over foreign missions will nonetheless allow their love of America to become xenophobia when it comes to people within our borders. We cannot forget that every tribe and tongue and nation are welcomed before God's throne. God's love transcends man-made boundaries, and our ultimate allegiance is to God not to America. Xenophobia in any form is antithetical to Christianity.

Yet there is another set of values that directs my views on immigration. The status quo on immigration is no longer an option in our post-9/11 world. Terrorists have used our open immigration and visitation policy to threaten our national order and will continue to do so. Our inability to keep our borders secure threatens every one of us.

The sheer numbers of illegal immigrants both within our borders and those continuing to stream in also places serious strains on our societal structures - especially our schools, health care facilities and social service agencies. And this is not a problem because this costs the taxpayers money. It is a problem because it is these structure that assure that immigrants have the opportunity to achieve the American dream and rise as far as their ambition and determination will take them. Immigrants want their children to learn English, get a good education and have a better life here in the States than what normally would be available to them in their home countries. If schools and agencies are inundated, then their resources are stretched too thin to really assist well those who are new to the US. By allowing a steady but controlled stream of immigrants and guest workers into the US, we can ensure that our society and workforce stays vibrant, open and available to the tired, the poor and hurting of the world.

So what does this mean in terms of policy? A combination of both liberal and conservative approaches in my mind. Secure borders are essential as is enforcing immigration law. But this should be coupled with a well-designed guest worker program and targeted funding and programs to communities and schools that need help providing the supports to immigrants that they need. Let's hope that this new Congress can work through the politics and find some solution that keeps us secure but also embraces those who come seeking a better life. We will be the better for it.