On this “comprehensive immigration reform” business, I think conservatives on principle ought to be opposed to any kind of “reform” labelled as “comprehensive”, which in this instance merely means: you won’t have time to read it and neither did we. Just to take the obvious point, why is border security part of an immigration bill at all? Whether you have a million immigrants a year or three, most sovereign nations take border enforcement as a routine function of government. But apparently not the hyperpower.
As for the other “reforms”, the so-called ending of “family reunification” will have little practical benefit – because as the Duka family of New Jersey illustrate, once you have one or two guys here, you can basically operate your own freelance family-reunification policy: No Uncle Left Behind. And the new Z-1 visa – the legal document you’re entitled to by being illegal – renders a green card redundant. After all, if a Z-1 gets you a Social Security Number and into the benefits candy box, then why do you need anything else?
Meanwhile, the move to a Canadian-style “skill points” system means there will still be a huge market for low-skilled immigrants that will keep the illegals network in business.
And on a personal note my senator, John Sununu, like other Republicans in purplish states, is most unlikely to be representing New Hampshire come January 2009.