Alan Kraut, a history professor and expert on U.S. immigration and ethnic history at American University in Washington, D.C., is available to talk to members of the news media about the new immigration bill.
“The country is at a point right now where a lot of interests are being hurt by the current system,” Kraut said. ”I think something is going to get passed. It may not make everyone happy, and it may still have loopholes.”
Economic Interests
One of those interests being hurt is the economy. While it is certainly well known that many employers need low-wage, low skilled workers to take the jobs that are too low-paying for most low-skilled Americans, there is also a need for highly skilled labor.
"I was at a conference for Midwest businessmen and heard many times from business owners that they cannot find the high tech employees they need,” Kraut said. “They hope to solve that and better compete in the global economy through immigration reform that would allow more skilled laborers from other countries to come to the United States.”
Truly Comprehensive Reform
Kraut says that while he believes that Congress will pass some kind of immigration reform legislation, he hopes it includes a mechanism that will prevent us from having to go through comprehensive immigration reform every 30 years.
“A lot of people have talked about creating a commission of experts from different fields, such as labor and big business, who would use data and data analysis to assess the nation’s labor needs every so often and adjust immigration policies accordingly,” Kraut said.
Undocumented Immigrants—the Main Sticking Point
Congress’s last attempt at sweeping legislation to address contemporary, pressing immigration issues died in the Senate in 2007. Now, 6 years later, here we are again. Why has comprehensive reform been such a challenge for lawmakers?
“The main sticking point for both sides has been what to do about undocumented immigrants,” Kraut said. “Both Democrats and Republicans know that breaking the law cannot be endorsed. Undocumented immigrants are breaking the law by being here. Now we have to deal with that in a just, but humane, way.”
Under the new bill, most undocumented immigrants who entered the United States before Dec. 31, 2011, would be immediately granted registered provisional status after a $ 500 fine and paying back taxes, so long as they have not committed a felony or three misdemeanors. After 10 years and paying additional fees, they could attain permanent resident status and 3 years after that, apply for citizenship.
Will Plan Work?
But will requiring undocumented immigrants to pay fines and back taxes and wait for at least 13 years really work? Would undocumented immigrants performing low skilled labor for low wages be able to save the money to pay these fines and back taxes while supporting themselves and their families? And would they be willing to endure a 13 year path to citizenship?
Kraut says another option, one that he realizes would have a lot of moving parts and be difficult to administer, would be to require undocumented immigrants to perform some sort of community service.
“Nonviolent criminals often perform public service to atone for their violations,” Kraut said. “From my point of view, public service brings people closer to rather than drives them away from the community. For instance, you may ask the doctor from Pakistan to help at a free clinic or a carpenter to help repair a neighborhood school.”
Path to Citizenship Is Vital
On that note, Kraut says legislation that offers a path to American citizenship is vital as it is the ultimate way of integrating people into our communities and making them life-long contributors to the common good.
“People often say of international students who come to American colleges and universities that it would be great if we could offer them green cards with their diplomas,” Kraut said. “They came and took advantage of our educational institutions—shouldn’t we want to keep that talent here so we can benefit?”
Alan Kraut is a non-resident fellow of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. The past president of the Immigration and Ethnic History Society, Kraut is the prize-winning author of numerous books and scholarly articles about U.S. ethnic and immigration history. Kraut was recently named president of the Organization of American Historians.
American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the United States and nearly 140 countries. Located in Washington, D.C., the university provides opportunities for academic excellence, public service, and internships in the nation’s capital and around the world.
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