Sometimes conventional wisdom is wrong.
That's how it is with the assumption that Republican Scott Brown's victory over Democrat Martha Coakley in the Massachusetts Senate race means that there will be no immigration reform this year.
The senator-elect has said that he opposes what he calls "amnesty" for illegal immigrants. In fact, Brown already knows how to turn illegal immigration into a wedge issue. As a state senator, he recently introduced a bill that would require anyone suing employers for violating state wage laws to show proof of citizenship or legal residency.
That is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard. Under current law, just because people are in the country illegally doesn't mean they don't have legal recourse if employers don't pay them. That's how it should be. Ironically, Brown's bill would produce more of what he says he opposes: illegal immigration. By signaling to companies that they can get away with not paying illegal immigrants, we will only encourage employers to hire more of them.
Even so, I think the rumors about the death of comprehensive immigration reform are premature. Here's why:
(rest of article here)
[posted by Maria Rohani]
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