Whoever organized the migrant caravan from Honduras has handed the President a gift. Odds are it was organized by a left-leaning group to galvanize Democratic voters, provoke the President and maybe trigger some incident that would embarrass the Administration. While the caravan won't make it to the border before election day (at least without hitching a ride), organizers feel it is achieving its purpose. It's likely going to backfire however.
In general, Americans are pretty neutral on immigration these days - a surprising change from twenty years ago. Gallup polling on immigration shows that as many Americans think we should take in more immigrants (28%) as those who think we should take in less (29%). Most (39%) think immigration levels are okay. Rewind 20 years and most Americans thought we were taking in too many immigrants.
Of course, the current fracas about immigration has nothing to do with the issue per se; it's about galvanizing Republicans to get out and vote in what normally would be a quiet year. Here's where the caravan plays directly into the President's hands: Recent polling shows immigration is the #1 issue for Republican voters; for Democrats it's #18. Conflate illegal immigration with national security and you have winner - an issue that will selectively rile up Republican voters. Better yet, as the New York Times points out, Democrats have no clear policy on immigration beyond opposing anything the Administration advocates.
Earlier this week, the President decided to double down, stating he intends to abolish birthright citizenship by executive order and calling for up to 15,000 troops to be sent to the border. Retiring Speaker of the House Paul Ryan pointed out that this explicitly violates the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.
Neither of the main political parties now have a coherent policy on immigration that works in the national interest. Each is singing to their own choirs, and in this election, the President is turning the caravan issue into a fourth quarter "Hail Mary" pass to get the vote out and preserve a Republican House majority.
Immigration is a serious issue however with our future dependent on implementing a rational policy. With declining natural birth rates, immigration is necessary to maintain and expand the workforce and entrepreneural talent pool we rely on to build and expand our economy, to pay taxes and to support a growing retired workforce. Immigration is also central to who we are; with the exception of Native Americans, the rest of us immigrated here in the fairly recent past. On the other hand, every country must defend its borders and has an obligation to ensure immigration works for the benefit of the country as a whole.
Where does the Modern Whig Party stand on immigration?
The Modern Whig Party platform asserts that the United States is and has always been a country of immigrants. The Modern Whig Party understands the dual responsibility of securing our borders while also dealing realistically with those undocumented immigrants already in the country. Presidents as diverse as Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama have recognized the need to deal compassionately and humanely with our population of undocumented immigrants, and we agree; harsh proposals may satisfy some of our less honorable impulses, but do little other than satisfy the anger some feel toward those who have crossed our borders without authorization.
The Modern Whig Party proposes:
- A program offering undocumented immigrants the opportunity for citizenship if they join the military and serve out their initial contractual term honorably. Undocumented immigrants would not be entitled to jobs requiring security clearances, but would be eligible for the G.I. Bill, Tricare and all other benefits afforded to U.S. service members who serve honorably.
- Comprehensive reform of our immigration process to attract those whose skills, education and entrepreneurial spirit will enable them to become productive contributors to the knowledge-based economy of tomorrow. As our population ages it is crucial to augment the natural growth of our population with additional taxpayers who are willing to emigrate to the United States and become productive, patriotic naturalized Americans.
- English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for all who need them. Assimilation is a key element of our melting pot. While all of us should appreciate the various cultures making up the vast, diverse fabric of our national life, we believe all Americans should ultimately share a common language.
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