McCain, Obama similar on immigration reform, but paths differ

John McCain and Barack Obama don’t agree on much, but they come close on immigration. The two presidential candidates think the country’s immigration system needs reform. Both believe America’s borders need to be secured. They want to create a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in the country. Both want to crack down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants. And they want all immigrants to learn English. But neither as president will be able to escape the politics of the debate. Political tensions likely will affect the way each would implement reform. Here’s a look at what we can expect on immigration from a McCain or an Obama administration. Reforming a broken systemThe two candidates, along with advocates on all sides of the issue, believe the next president will have no choice but to deal with immigration. McCain, a Republican, came under fire from many hard-liners in his own party as the immigration debate heated up in 2006 and 2007 for his attempt to push through bipartisan reform legislation.McCain and Democrat Obama both voted for the reform legislation in 2006, although the bill never made it out of Congress. The bill, among other things, would have built a fence along the Mexican border and allowed illegal immigrants to become citizens if they followed certain guidelines. Supporters of a get-tough approach on illegal immigration hammered McCain for what they saw as rewarding people who entered the country illegally. Since then, McCain has backed away from his own proposals and now says he underestimated Americans’ desire to secure its borders first and then enact reform later.“We must first prove to [Americans] that we can and will secure our borders first, while respecting the dignity and rights of citizens and legal residents of the United States,” McCain said in June. “But we must not make the mistake of thinking that our responsibility to meet this challenge will end with that accomplishment.”His emphasis on border security and enforcement highlights his change on the issue. McCain believes additional reforms would come later. Obama is pushing for a comprehensive fix.“We need immigration reform that will secure our borders, and punish employers who exploit immigrant labor - reform that finally brings the 12 million people who are here illegally out of the shadows by requiring them to take steps to become legal citizens,” Obama said in June. “We must assert our values and reconcile our principles as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.”The difference in the candidates’ approach to reform is important, said Clarissa Martinez, director of immigration and national campaigns for the non-partisan civil rights group the National Council of La Raza. A piecemeal approach will not work, she said. “Dealing with border alone will not really deal with the restoration of law,” Martinez said.Immigrants already hereKey to both candidates’ plans is how to deal with 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country. Neither believes it is practical to deport all illegal immigrants.Obama supports allowing undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English and go to the back of the line to become citizens.In the meantime, Obama sees allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses as a practical solution to documenting those here illegally. McCain as president would require all undocumented immigrants to enroll in a program to resolve their status. Under his proposal, background checks would be performed and immigrants would have to pay taxes they owe. Those who want to apply for citizenship would also have to go to the back of the line, behind those who have applied legally.To cut down on illegal immigration, both support building a fence along the border with Mexico. Obama calls for additional personnel, infrastructure and technology at the country’s borders and ports – and so does McCain, who also says he will work with governors to certify that borders are secure as well as provide additional funding to border states.EmployersBoth candidates want to develop employment verification systems. Obama has pushed proposals to create a system for employers to verify workers are legally eligible to work in the United States. McCain is also pushing for a similar system and has said the Department of Homeland Security would vigorously prosecute employers that continue to hire illegal immigrants.Both would also create registries or databases of temporary workers.Can change happen?But the next president, whoever it is, will need to balance what sometimes are competing interests to be successful in reforming the current system, analysts say. The issue is not one that divides clearly along party lines, so McCain or Obama will have to consider his supporters and tread carefully, said Angela Kelley, director of the Immigration Policy Center, a pro-immigrant research and policy group.Labor unions, backing Obama, are highly interested in how immigration reform will affect the workers they represent, she said. Obama will also need to balance not alienating Hispanic voters, expected to be in his column in November.McCain will have to balance the interests of the business community, traditionally a Republican base, as well as those in the party who take a hard line on illegal immigration, Kelley said. Reform will also depend on Congress.“I have a feeling that there are a lot of folks in Congress that don’t want to go down that path,” said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which seeks to stop illegal immigration and reduce immigration overall. Other issues, such as the economy and war in Iraq, are likely to occupy the new president’s attention before immigration, Kelley said. “I think the issue is a necessity for the next president,” she said. “It’s just an issue of when it’s going to be called.”
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