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The surge of asylum-seekers at the nations southern border grimly illustrates the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

But despite Americas flawed system, lawmakers continue to allow petty, divisive politics to stand in the way of the needed overhaul to our immigration system.

The most formidable obstacle to a comprehensive immigration bill is allowing a path to citizenship to the estimated 11.5 million people including at least 1.6 million in Texas who are in the country without authorization. Republican lawmakers and many GOP base voters are against any plan that would give amnesty to those residents, even though mass deportations are impractical and unlikely.

Ronald Reagan was the last president to push through an immigration plan with a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants.

The inability to pass a comprehensive plan should not discourage President Joe Biden and lawmakers from addressing important immigration-related issues in pieces. As most homeowners know, fixing things a little bit at a time is an improvement over doing nothing.

Here are some immigration issues our leaders should find a way to solve.

The southern border is again flooded with refugees from Central America seeking asylum and escape from awful situations in their home countries.

Many immigration lawyers say laws related to asylum need updating, while the border needs an influx of judges and related staff to process cases faster.

Policy guidelines should take a stand against family separation or any abuse of those seeking asylum.

And officials also should stay diligent in protecting against smugglers and human traffickers.

Its a tough order, but necessary to stop the chronic surges of refugees at the border.

Former U.S Rep. Will Hurd, R-San Antonio, suggests that Biden should create a high-level official with power and resources to deal with the countries that are creating the refugee problem.

The U.S. needs a mix of diplomacy and ideas to solve the problems in Central America like gang violence, corruption, trafficking, smuggling and the drug trade.

Dealing with the problem at its source is the best way to stop the flow of asylum-seekers.

Immigrant labor is an essential part of the nations economy, particularly in Texas.

There are people in Mexico and other places who want to work in America, but go back to their home countries.

Guest worker proposals have died with the debate over a path to citizenship and other immigration issues.

There is hope for movement. Last week, the House approved a bill, with 30 GOP votes, to expand a visa program for temporary agriculture workers. It would provide a pathway to permanent legal residency for about 1 million farm workers, with the possibility of eventual citizenship.

Coming out of the pandemic, American companies are going to need immigrant labor, so some kind of guest worker program makes sense.

Millions of people were brought to the country by their families as children and now face life in America as residents without citizenship or authorization to be here. They go to school, work and contribute to society, but worry about deportation or other problems that their residency status creates.

Last week, the House approved a bill that would allow citizenship to 2.5 million unauthorized immigrants, including those commonly referred to as Dreamers.

The proposal includes people already in the U.S. who were 18 or younger when they entered the country. It would cover those who currently have temporary protections under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which is known as DACA.

Though only nine Republicans backed this bill, there should be space for lawmakers to ultimately compromise on this issue and provide the stout legislation needed to solve the problem.

Most experts agreed that former President Donald Trumps push for a wall along the southern border as initially proposed was unnecessary. He did get 452 miles of barrier built.

Any good immigration policy should include protections against criminals entering the country. And border security should include the constant fight against drug and human trafficking, as well as the protection of residents living in the area.

Metrics should be developed to determine whether border security goals are being met, as this will prevent lawmakers who oppose the above proposals from using the refrain that nothing should happen with immigration until the border is secure.

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With petty politics blocking broad immigration reform, lawmakers should tackle the issue in pieces - The Dallas Morning News