A solution to Immigration Reform

In Fixing Immigration From the Ground Up The New York Times published an opinion from the editorial board on October 6, 2013. Among the predicaments that face this nation, the question is asked can California set a conclusive example to nudge the national government to move forward in immigration reform? Back in June of 2013 the democratically controlled senate passed a bill for immigration reform. However, this bill was unpopular in the republican controlled house. The failed vote for a complimentary path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants forced congress back to the drawing board. The House contended that the enforcement of borders was the unfolding precedence in debate, while the senate favored an extension to a broader pathway for citizenship into the country.

California, which is home to an estimated 2.5 million immigrants, proposed a bill that was signed by the state. In hoping to spotlight California onto the national stage, Governor Brown contributed a solution in the form of a bill, titled The Trust Act. The Trust Act is meant to reproach Obama’s agenda and congresses idleness by making it harder for the US Customs and Border Protection agency to deport unauthorized California’s aliens. Trying to set a positive example for the rest of the nation, the governor’s goal was to “lessen the problems” by “protecting [the] civil rights and public safety” of a large population of California, who are non-violent criminals that “live outside the law”. Referring to illegal immigrants, as the subject, the product of The Trust Act set way for other bills and provisions that were also signed separately by the state of California.

On the agenda, California has enabled a pathway for certain immigrants to become licensed lawyers. Other items that have been introduced are issuing drivers licenses, opportunities to work as poll officials during an election, and a measure to allow immigrants to serve on juries. The opinion argues that, by expanding basic human rights while finding approachable solutions, California is on the leading edge of immigration reform. Even though a single state cannot fix immigration reform for the rest of the nation, it can be a start to press congress for an agreement to move forward on immigration reform.

I can admire the state for providing a solution to the problem facing immigration reform. However, the state of California is accomplishing, in my opinion, a short term fix that could lead to bigger problems. For instance, the state bills that would let immigrants drive, serve on juries, and work as polling officials in elections without obtaining a social security number to fulfill civic duties, scares me. A thing comes to mind that is not published in this opinion is the fact that one of the largest banks in the US came out to the public, a couple of years ago, saying that they would start accepting credit card applications without a social security number. As being insightful to the argument, the issue of being able to get credit to pay for transactions, or serving in basic traditional civic duties without a social security number can lead to bigger problems such as identity theft. By 2040 it is estimated that minority groups, once combined, will be the majority of the population within the borders of the United States.

I believe that we cannot ignore a predictable trend that in mere decades, immigrants and minorities will be the majority of the population. I recognize that the state of California is trying to provide  solutions to the nation and a stagnated congress on immigration reform; but before applying short term fixes to please a populace, the elected officials should look at the situation more closely to prevent overlooked problems that could arise in the future. For now we can see congress and the other branches of government trapped into a corner; with two sides brawling over a different policy that has split the nation on both sides of the fence. As for immigration reform, the subject remains in inactivity, even if the state of California moves towards solutions to prod a national government into action.