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Perspective: By David Swaim LatinaLista

As we watch the Republicans in the House of Representatives continue to dither over immigration reform, and anti-immigration and pro-immigration groups continue the culture war over this issue, it is important to realize the issues being debated are not the cause of illegal immigration nor are the proposals a solution.

Fundamentally, the immigration problem in the U.S. is a problem of labor. Until Congress decides to address this underlying, fundamental issue, illegal immigration will continue.

The History of Immigration Reform

In 1986 Congress faced a very similar problem. Approximately six million undocumented aliens were working in the United States (including family members). Interestingly, many of those undocumented workers were in the process to obtain permanent residence but the quotas had been overwhelmed and the waiting periods extended from five to ten years. But at least there was a legal option available to employers to legalize their employees.

Congress decided to reform this process by granting legalization/amnesty to a large percentage of those six million people. Congress also passed the employers sanctions law as part of immigration reform which supposedly placed the burden of controlling illegal immigration on employers.

Even if we assume the legalization program was a success, by granting permanent residence to millions of undocumented workers, Congress did not provide for any future mechanism for employers to hire unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers from outside the U.S.

Although the issue of granting access to the U.S. labor market by foreign nationals is complicated and contentious, the bottom line is that U.S. employers rely on the foreign labor pool, especially from Mexico, to fill many of these types of jobs.

If Congress does not provide a legal method for employers to employ these individuals, the labor market simply disregards the law and forces employers and employees to engage in illegal conduct. In short, employers in the U.S. cannot find enough U.S. workers to fill these positions and the employees from other countries, particularly Mexico, need those jobs.

The law of supply and demand does not adhere to borders or edicts from Congress; at least for long. This may sound very basic but it is critical to understanding how we arrived in 2014 with over 11 million undocumented workers and their families.

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If Immigration Reform Ever Passes, It Will Fail (Again)

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Congresswoman Renee Ellmers on immigration reform
Congresswoman Ellmers speaks about immigration reform during a Bibles, Badges and Business for Immigration Reform roundtable on Feb. 19, 2014.

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Even though legislation is dead in Congress, a coalition of groups isn't throwing in the towel

A coalition of womens organizations announced Wednesday they will continue pushing House Republican leaders to vote on immigration reform this year, even as legislation before Congress is effectively dead.

The coalition is led by the pro-reform group We Belong Together, and it includes union, women, and community groups. The groups plan to use protest fasting and targeted attacks within congressional districts starting in March to mobilize women around the idea that immigration policy, at its core, has its greatest impact on women, children and families. Though they have yet to specify which members of Congress will face the most pressure, organizers said they will hold up GOP inaction as proof that Republicans are often anti-women, anti-black and brown, and anti-family.

The timeline of [immigration reform] cannot be dictated by a small group of people, Pramila Jayapal of We Belong Together told reporters on a conference call. If Republican leadership really looks at the cost of not moving immigration reform forward and also the cost for their base, theyll realize that a lack of action would continue to play into the frame.

The Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill last year, and while Republicans signaled earlier this year that they might move on smaller piecemeal reform measures, House Speaker John Boehner, under pressure from conservatives, threw in the towel earlier this month. Boehner said his members dont trust that Obama, who has overseen a record number of deportations, to appropriately enforce any new immigration law.

The American people, including many of my members, dont trust that the reform that were talking about will be implemented as it was intended to be, Boehner said at the time.

Organizers said about 75 percent of immigrants in the United States are women and children. A woman on the call who works with a pro-immigrant community group in Los Angeles said she lives in fear that her family will be separated every day because of existing law. Even though I cant vote Im educating other people in my community about the importance of voting, said Mara Galvn, an undocumented immigrant and mother of two. We must participate in this fight. Together we will make immigration reform with path to citizenship a reality.

California Democratic Rep. Judy Chu said that if the existing reform bill were put to a vote, it would pass the House. She called on womens groups to work together like they did in the successful push to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.

Efforts like these keep the pressure on, Chu said. It is public pressure that can change things around.

Continued here:

Women's Groups Push Immigration Reform