Last week an illegal immigrant confronted Mitt Romney on the campaign trail. “Why are you not supporting my dream?” she asked, referring to the DREAM Act, for which she would be eligible. Romney said that he could not support illegal immigration, but the questioner then publicly accused him of not supporting immigration at all.
The problem is that this confrontation reflects an all-too-often confused debate. One side argues for legal immigration only — ignoring that the legal process is arbitrary, onerous, and wasteful — while the other attacks back viciously as though respect for a legal process means scorn for all immigrants.
Of course, those are not the only two options, and over the weekend I prepared an FFF commentary calling for an elevated discussion. Fortunately, there is great leeway for productive, bipartisan reforms that would welcome immigrants.
Read more: “Beyond the DREAM Act.”
