Conservatives are rightly concerned that the reported immigration deal in Congress won’t adequately secure the border. They’re likely to be unhappy with whatever Senate Republicans produce, but that’s always the case with bipartisan compromises. Republicans of all stripes should be ready to swallow things they would not ideally want, but there is one provision they should not accept under any circumstances: work permits for illegal immigrants awaiting asylum hearings.
Controlling the border means more than simply enforcing entry. No matter how tightly the border is controlled, there is still the problem of the many illegal migrants already here. They need to support themselves, and work is the easiest way to do that. That is presumably why negotiators are reportedly looking at speeding up the process to award work permits for people already in the country.
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