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There are just under 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States today. And the number of illegal immigrants is growing, according to U.S. Border Patrol estimates. That means immigration reform may become a priority again.

Lenny Ignelzi, AP

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There are just under 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States today, according to figures released last year by the Pew Research Hispanic Trends Center. And the number of illegal immigrants is growing, according to U.S. Border Patrol estimates. That means immigration reform may become a priority again.

It is about time. This is a problem Congress should have addressed long ago. Instead, it has left the issue largely to the president.

In response, President Obama has acted to address illegal immigration, although there is only so much he can do. One way he has acted is through deportation. His administration has deported an estimated 2 million illegal immigrants, a dramatic increase over the Bush presidency. Indeed, critics have named him deporter in chief.

Yet, those deportations have been targeted. According to the Migration Policy Institute, 75 percent of those deported during the Obama administration have been convicted criminals. Moreover, the deportation effort primarily is a border activity. In 2013, nearly two-thirds of deportations were of people who were in the process of entering the U.S. illegally. Those who already live in the U.S., and have no criminal record, are unlikely to be deported today. Again according to the Migration Policy Institute, 85 percent of those flagged by the Immigration and Naturalization Services for possible deportation were not deported, primarily because they lacked a criminal record.

But these figures still suggest that a group of people constituting over 3 percent of the nations population is operating without legal status within the United States. These people are the most vulnerable to exploitation by bad employers. Plus, many still avoid government for fear of exposure. The Obama administrations more humane approach to deportation has not resolved these problems.

What should be done?

One proposal is to provide a route to permanent residency and citizenship. This is controversial because while many consider this a compassionate step to integrating immigrants into society, others view it as a reward for illegal behavior. Indeed, it is a sticking point that has stalled immigration reform in Congress.

Original post:
Richard Davis: Find the common ground on immigration reform