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I vividly remember my parents sitting at the kitchen table practicing the Pledge of Allegiance the night before they were to be sworn in as naturalized Americans. They wanted to get the pledge perfect. My mother fled her home country of El Salvador during the brutal civil war, and to this day has a thick accent. I was about 9 years old and annoyed that they wanted me to listen to them for what felt like hours, but as an adult, I have come to understand their dedication.

On election night in 2022, I met a young man holding a sign advocating for immigrants in Howard County. A voter made a rude comment, but he just smiled. I felt compelled to talk with the young man, and he told me his story. He was a Harvard graduate, author and a Dreamer a participant in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, which allows immigrants brought to America as children to remain here and work or study.

We spoke of our family histories and our common goals for a secure and accessible American dream. My conversation with this young man solidified what I already knew: A Republican with solid policy answers can win in Maryland.

When I was a radio host at WBAL, I interviewed Sen. Alan K. Simpson, co-author of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. I asked him how a Republican senator from Wyoming came to be involved in crafting one of the most critical immigration bills of the century. His answer was practical. Thats the only type of people that are goofy enough to handle it. You have to have somebody who is divorced from the emotion, fear, guilt and racism that goes with this issue.

The border states are overwhelmed and often angry that they have been left to handle this crisis largely on their own. It would be difficult for Republican legislators in those states to acknowledge the concessions needed for real immigration reform without losing reelection.

On the other extreme, Democrats response to illegal immigration has been willful ignorance. Only recently, as cities have been inundated with busloads of migrants, have elected officials in New York, Chicago and other places far from the border started to sound like their southern counterparts.

In addition, Democrats already vote as a unit. They may disagree behind closed doors, but in the end, the way they fall in line would make any kindergarten teacher proud. That means that real reform will require Republican support, but that support must start from within the party itself.

I agree with Sen. Simpson that the plan to fix our immigration system will come from an unlikely place, maybe even Maryland. Marylands 3rd Congressional District encompasses northern Anne Arundel County, all of Howard County and a sliver of Carroll County. It leans left, but without the Sarbanes name running for Congress there, now that John Sarbanes has announced plans to retire, it no longer lies flat in Democrats corner.

This district is full of intelligent and empathetic people. Many are registered Democrats as a last resort, not a first choice. It is the kind of environment that offers a common-sense Republican the political freedom to negotiate real immigration reform.

Ronald Reagan, the Republican president who signed that 1986 immigration bill understood the value of immigrants to this nation. In his final speech as president, he said the following: They give more than they receive But their greatest contribution is more than economic, because they understand in a special way how glorious it is to be an American.

President Reagan signed the bill crafted by a Republican Senator from Wyoming, and a Democratic Congressman from Kentucky, in 1986. That bill opened the door for my parents, and 3 million people like them to become Americans. They never missed an opportunity to tell their children how great this country is.

The young man I met on election night last year has been in this country most of his life. He is educated, works hard and has the same values as a natural born citizen like me. What he lacks is the opportunity to raise his hand like my parents did and pledge an oath to this country.

Democrats are wrong. We cannot pretend the immigration crisis is not real. We start by slowing the flow of illegal immigration, securing the border and simultaneously granting citizenship to the almost 600,000 current DACA recipients. Then we start overhauling our immigration system to allow hard working Dreamers to come to this country.

True immigration reform is needed, and it can come from Marylands 3rd Congressional District. I hope Republicans seize the opportunity to offer voters a sound, policy-oriented candidate in this rare opportunity to shape national policy.

Yuripzy Morgan (yuripzy@ymorganlaw.com) is a Republican, attorney and former WBAL radio host. She challenged U.S. Rep John Sarbanes, a Democrat, in the 2022 election.

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It will take a Republican to solve America's immigration issues ... - Baltimore Sun