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House Republicans want a border deal but not the one on offer.

Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday "voiced skepticism" about an emerging Senate proposal to link Ukraine aid to tougher immigration enforcement, The Hill reported. "I don't think now is the time for comprehensive immigration reform," he told a press conference, "because we know how complicated that is." His comments came amid warnings that a looming budget deadline could actually make the border crisis worse.

The GOP has been agitating about immigration for years, so why not take the opportunity for progress on the issue? One possibility: It's not good for Donald Trump. The Messenger reported that Trump has warned Johnson not to make a deal. "He and I have been talking about this pretty frequently," Johnson acknowledged. That brought a backlash from Democrats. "They're hoping for chaos at the border and trying to stop us from preventing it," said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).

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Trump, of course, is gearing up to take on President Joe Biden in November: An immigration deal could rob him of his signature issue against the incumbent. Indeed, USA Today reported that some House Republicans don't want to sign onto a bipartisan deal "because it would help Biden's reelection prospects." And Johnson reportedly told his fellow Republicans that an immigration bill "must wait until former President Donald Trump or another Republican regains the presidency."

"The status quo favors Republicans," Rich Lowry argued at The New York Post. It's Biden not the GOP that needs to take drastic action at the border, where the crisis has become so palpable that "even the media have started to notice." That gives Republicans the upper hand when arguing for the strictest border enforcement possible. There's "growing recognition that the chaos at the border is hurting Biden, and he needs to do something about it."

House Republicans should "listen to the American people on the border crisis and negotiate," The Chicago Tribune editorialized. Biden and "savvy Senate Democrats" have finally come to the table on immigration, giving "real hope that a serious, comprehensive bill could emerge." So it's not great that House Republicans "already are declaring the Senate product dead on arrival." If the border crisis really is a crisis, the folks in charge should respond with action instead of obstruction. To do otherwise in hopes of helping Trump "is strikingly cynical, even for this day and age."

But Republicans aren't the only ones wary of a bipartisan bill. "This border deal is a political trap for Democrats," Andrea R. Flores, a former immigration adviser to the Biden administration, warned in The New York Times. It's true that "voters strongly disapprove of President Biden's handling of the border." The status quo is "unsustainable." But any border deal that relies mostly on tougher border enforcement while failing to expand legal pathways to immigration will only make the crisis worse. "There is too much at stake for Democrats to accept the terms of this Senate proposal."

There's a problem with the House Republican approach. "To those who think that if President Trump wins, which I hope he does, that we can get a better deal you won't," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Wednesday. Why? Because any immigration bill must receive 60 votes to pass the Senate. Even if Republicans pick up a Senate majority in November, it's unlikely they'll meet that threshold. Which means that any deal will involve compromise from both sides. There's no time like the present, Graham said: "This is a historic moment to reform the border."

But it's not clear how much tougher border enforcement would alleviate border pressures, Eduardo Porter argued at The Washington Post. Border Patrol has increased its staffing "fivefold" since the early 1990s, while the number of undocumented migrants living here has still tripled. Immigrants are driven to the U.S. by "hunger, climate change and a desire for opportunity." That won't change until their circumstances do. "Hardening the border will not keep them out."

See the article here:
Immigration reform strikes out with House Republicans - The Week

To the Editor:

In How to Fix Americas Immigration Crisis (Opinion guest essay, Jan. 14), Steven Rattner and Maureen White argue: We need to come to a national consensus on how many immigrants we want to accept and the bases for determining who is chosen. That includes balancing the two principal objectives of immigration policy: to meet our legal and moral humanitarian obligations to persecuted individuals and to bolster our work force.

These two objectives need not be at odds. Pathways for displaced people who have skills needed by U.S. employers can benefit displaced people, employers and the communities that welcome new neighbors. The United States could adopt a program, modeled on Canadas Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, to address specific needs in states, cities and industries, while offering lasting refuge to displaced people.

In fact, the Biden administration could adopt many changes to facilitate displaced peoples access to employment opportunities without legislation.

But a humanitarian employment program should be additional to, and must not replace, systems of asylum and resettlement. Human rights are not a consideration to be balanced against economic considerations.

Betsy Fisher Minneapolis The writer is the U.S. director at Talent Beyond Boundaries.

To the Editor:

Steven Rattner and Maureen White acknowledge that reducing flows of migrants to our border requires improving conditions in sending countries. They lament reductions in the already paltry U.S. foreign aid budget.

Yet they neglect to mention U.S. punitive sanctions against Venezuela and Cuba two significant sources of migrants that exacerbated economic meltdowns and led people to flee. Nicaragua too is subject to less extensive but still dire U.S. sanctions.

These U.S. measures not only undermine material well-being and hope, but also provide cover to authoritarian heads of state, who blame Washington rather than themselves for their countries dismal situations.

Marc Edelman Callicoon, N.Y.

To the Editor:

In this shortsighted essay, the authors propose that we should require asylum seekers to apply in Mexico or other countries, including their home countries. As an immigration attorney at the Capital Area Immigrants Rights Coalition, I can tell you that this idea would be laughable if it were not so frighteningly close to becoming the law.

How would this work? Would the Afghans fleeing the Taliban simply line up at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul? (Spoiler alert: There isnt one.) Also, the Mexican asylum system is no less overwhelmed than our own, having received a record number of applications in 2023.

Likewise, it makes no sense to punish asylum seekers who enter the U.S. between ports of entry. Waiting in Mexico for a border appointment has been a logistical nightmare and has exposed asylum seekers to extreme violence from criminal organizations. We should not make it more dangerous for them for the sake of maintaining bureaucratic niceties.

We need increased funding for the immigration system, and we should widen other immigration avenues, such as work visas. But our leaders should also focus on the root causes that drive people from their homes a lack of security, coupled with an underdeveloped economy (often saddled by international debt and/or draconian sanctions) and try to find long-term solutions that will enable us to welcome asylum seekers with dignity.

F. Evan Benz Washington

To the Editor:

As a social democrat and registered Democrat, I agree with Steven Rattner and Maureen White. I have in-laws who migrated from El Salvador through legal immigration. It took 15 years from start to finish. The paperwork, legal fees and bureaucracy are onerous. If someone qualifies under our laws, it should take not more than a year to process.

I also think the border needs to be secured, not with a physical wall, but by using technology that is better suited to a large expanse. Closed-circuit television, drones, infrared cameras and certainly more Customs and Border Protection officers are needed to apprehend, process and deport illegal immigrants.

There should be a penalty for anyone, regardless of asylum eligibility, who enters the country illegally, which would be a start in deterring people from attempting this. There is no need to deport people back to their country of origin, just back across the border over which they crossed, be it Canada or Mexico.

There should be a limit on economic refugees admitted per year, and it should not be based on country of origin, but on need. For this, we need to adequately staff our immigration and court systems. I agree with the authors that one part of the reform needs to be adequate funding of these agencies.

Not all progressives are of the same mind. I do see a deep need for immigration reform, and it includes ideas from serious Republicans, independents and Democrats alike.

Jeff Jumisko Los Angeles

To the Editor:

Part of fixing the immigration crisis is to more quickly determine who requires asylum. A Times article last year highlighted the shortage of judges, resulting in a backlog of two million immigration cases, which take an average of four years to resolve.

I believe that the judicial system should follow the example of other professions, such as medicine, dentistry and law, where health care associates, dental assistants and paralegals are able to make independent decisions.

Similarly, not all legal situations should require a judge. The judicial system could hire and train paralegals and assistants by the tens of thousands who would be focused on immigration asylum cases.

They would be given authority to quickly settle straightforward cases and refer indeterminate situations to judges, just as the health care associates, dental assistants and paralegals now send difficult situations to the professional in charge.

Murray H. Seltzer Boca Raton, Fla. The writer is a retired surgeon.

To the Editor:

Re Johnson Digs In Against a Deal on Immigration (front page, Jan. 18):

House Republicans intransigence on immigration is easy to understand. It has long been an effective campaign issue with their MAGA base.

Holding military aid for Ukraine hostage to immigration reform is harder to explain. Aside from the unspeakable horror and criminality of Russias attacks on its smaller neighbor, Vladimir Putins aggression directly threatens U.S. NATO allies, and thus the United States itself.

The only credible explanation for withholding aid to Ukraine is Donald Trumps affection for Mr. Putin, whom he has called smart and a tough guy with whom he got along great. And he called Mr. Putins invasion of Ukraine genius.

If House Republicans really care about national security, theyll stand up to Mr. Trump and find another way to solve the immigration problem.

Stephen Dycus New York

To the Editor:

In Tougher Than the Rest (column, Jan. 14), David Brooks writes of Nikki Haley: Mobilized by sadness and anger, she helped persuade more than two-thirds of both houses of the legislature to remove the Confederate flag from the State Capitol grounds, which was an astounding act of political craftsmanship and moral fortitude that even her detractors admire.

The only thing astounding about taking down the flag of a deadly treasonous insurgency is that it took 150 years and a murderous, racist hate crime to finally get it removed. If Governor Haley had been truly mobilized by sadness and anger, a more meaningful demonstration of political craftsmanship and moral fortitude would have been to enact sweeping gun safety legislation. Thats toughness.

Stephen Thiroux Ashland, Ore.

To the Editor:

Jessica Grose nailed it again in Botox Destroyed What I Liked About My Face (Opinion, Jan. 13). I always look forward to her essays, and this one spoke to me, a late 40s lady trying to stay youthful mentally and physically.

I, too, never thought I would try Botox, but decided to give it a shot. I initially loved my incredibly smooth forehead and the decreased number of lines around my eyes.

But Ive come to realize that wrinkles are badges of honor and that I should embrace the souvenirs of thousands of smiles and surprises and even angst Ive experienced throughout a full life so far.

Beth Porter Buceras, Mexico

Read more from the original source:
Opinion | Making Changes to U.S. Immigration Policy - The New York Times

Most of the ideas from Gov. Gretchen Whitmers population growth council report are either bad, ineffective or have little to do with population growth. But give credit where it is due: The council did have some good ideas on labor regulation laws.

The council recommended making it easier for people to come to Michigan and more likely to want to move here. It called for lawmakers to conduct a full review of professional licensing requirements to identify which can be maintained, improved, updated or eliminated. Lawmakers, the report said, should remove unnecessary bureaucratic barriers to workforce entry without sacrificing workplace/consumer safety or the quality of work provided to Michiganders.

Michigans licensing process is arbitrary and often nonsensical. It is hard to justify, say, barbers needing three times the training hours that police officers need. The states 180-plus licenses should be reviewed and, at the very least, the state should immediately recognize the certification and experience of people in other states and let them work in Michigan.

The federal immigration system is also convoluted. Attracting more immigrants to Michigan is a worthy goal. The report calls for Michigan policymakers to work with federal officials to simplify the route by which H-1B visa holders and international students can achieve citizenship and transition to permanent Michigan residency.

The governor and state lawmakers should implement some parts of the population commissions recommendations. Making it easier for people to move and work in our state is the lowest fruit and represents the most obvious reforms.

Permission to reprint this blog post in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author (or authors) and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy are properly cited.

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Growing Michigan Together's report highlights licensing and immigration reform - Mackinac Center for Public Policy

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Colorados Democratic Congressional delegation called on Congress Thursday to take urgent action to support Colorado communities struggling under the weight of a growing humanitarian crisis caused by surges of immigrants, many fleeing brutal regimes and crossing the U.S. border illegally.

As of Thursday morning, Denver has welcomed an unprecedented 37,604 immigrants. More than 4,300 are being temporarily fed and sheltered by city taxpayers. The expense has been tremendous: $38 million, and counting.

Denver, like many cities in America, is a vibrant, thriving city full of generous folks who want to see everyone succeed, Johnston said. We are also a city right now that is facing a humanitarian crisis and a fiscal crisis unlike anything weve seen in the last 25 years.

And that is the result of what we know is the ongoing influx of migrant arrivals who are seeking asylum in America and the system that is not adequately helping them to succeed.

Early in the crisis, city leaders decided Denver would pay to house or transport immigrants to the city of their choice.

Despite state and federal grants totaling more than $14 million, Denver taxpayers are shouldering the bulk of the costs.

Earlier this month, Johnston warned that the city had reached a breaking point and if left unabated the cost to taxpayers could reach up to $180 million this year. He instructed department heads to find 10% to 15% in cuts.

Traditionally, immigration has been an issue relegated to gateway cities such as Chicago and New York City or states adjacent to the U.S. border with Mexico.

Not anymore.

Denver is more than 600 miles from El Paso, Texas, the closest U.S. border with Mexico.

Officials have speculated immigrants are drawn to Denver because of its relative proximity to the Mexico border while others believe the appeal is its status as a sanctuary city.

Generally speaking, a sanctuary city is a designation for municipalities and counties that establish policies discouraging local law enforcement from reporting an individuals immigration status to federal authorities.

But its not just Denver.

Carbondale and Aurora have also provided assistance to newly arriving immigrants.

Editor's note: This is a developing story.

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Johnston, Bennet and Hickenlooper urge immigration reform | Colorado In DC - coloradopolitics.com

WASHINGTON Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and eight other Democratic governors sent a letter to President Joe Biden and congressional leaders Monday, requesting federal aid and urging changes to immigration law as their states take in an overwhelming number of asylum seekers.

The sustained arrival of individuals seeking asylum and requiring shelter and assistance, due to lack of Congressional action on infrastructure and policies, can only be addressed with federal organizational support and funding to meet the public safety and humanitarian needs of our local communities, the letter led by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul read.

The letter was also signed by Govs. Katie Hobbs of Arizona, Gavin Newsom of California, Jared Polis of Colorado, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Wes Moore of Maryland, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico and Phil Murphy of New Jersey.

New York City has taken in 168,000 migrants in the past 18 months, according to Mayor Eric Adams. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has added to the strain in major Democratic-run cities by placing migrants on buses and planes to such cities, often without warning local officials.

While the Biden Administration has made important progress in managing immigration at the Southwest border, the number of migrants arriving in states and cities seeking emergency shelter continues to increase at record pace, according to the letter. States and cities have spent billions to address inaction by Congress and match these challenges with solutions for our state and local economies.

In a statement, Polis called for more border security as well as other policy reforms and federal funding.

We need Congress to take action to secure our border and pass comprehensive immigration reform. States cant do this alone, Polis said. Without seriously securing the border, providing interior states relief and real reform the challenges facing states and localities will only grow.

A bipartisan trio of Senate negotiators Sens. James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, Kyrsten Sinema, independent of Arizona, and Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut are hammering out the final details of changes to immigration policy as part of negotiations for a global security aid package of more than $100 billion. Some Republican senators had demanded immigration policy changes to be applied to the Southern border as a condition of considering Bidens request for overseas aid.

The governors asked that Congress grant Bidens request to include in a supplemental funding bill $4.4 billion for a federal migration strategy and $1.4 billion in aid to states and local governments dealing with an influx of migrants.

The governors are requesting Congress and the White House include federal coordination and decompression at the southern and northern borders; federal funding for both border and interior states and cities receiving new arrivals; and a serious commitment to modernizing our immigration system in the United States.

Of the $100 billion in supplemental funding, about $14 billion would go toward U.S. border security, and the rest would be for aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Senators have not released bill text on the immigration policy, but the proposals they are considering would mark the most significant change to immigration law in the last 30 years.

Proposals being floated include making changes to asylum law that would set a higher bar for migrants to claim asylum and curbing the White Houses use of its parole authority that it has used to grant temporary protections to migrants from certain countries and others at the U.S. southern border.

With ongoing conflicts around the world, global migration is at a historic high, according to the letter. States and cities cannot indefinitely respond to the subsequent strain on state and local resources without Congressional action.

The letter comes after Biden said in a speech to more than 300 bipartisan mayors at a conference in Washington, D.C., that he is supportive of significant policy changes to asylum law a stark reversal from his administrations earlier position to protect asylum law.

Editors note: This story first appeared on Colorado Newsline, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com. Follow Colorado Newsline on Facebook and Twitter.

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Polis, 8 other Dem governors call on Biden, Congress to act on immigration - RealVail