A Window for Immigration Reform

Illegal Immigration Has Ebbed with the Faltering Economy. It's a Lull Congress Should Use to Fix the Broken Immigration System in the U.S.

Los Angeles Times: The number of immigrants entering the United States illegally has plummeted in tandem with the economy, with the greatest slowdown occurring between 2007 and 2009, according to a report issued Wednesday by the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center. Also, the number of people apprehended at the border is down dramatically, and furthermore, an estimated 1 million illegal immigrants have left the country. But the report, coming as the immigration reform debate turns increasingly ugly, is a timely reminder of how perception lags reality. Even as Arizona passes draconian anti-immigrant laws and prominent Republicans seek to disenfranchise American-born children of illegal immigrants, the truth is that illegal immigration has not been this low since the middle of the decade. Congress should be using this period to negotiate a fix for the broken immigration system. Despite fewer arrivals, 11 million illegal immigrants remain in the United States, and reform is crucial. But instead of addressing current conditions, the country is awash in political rhetoric more suited to conditions in years past. It is a missed opportunity. Because as soon as the economy rebounds, so will illegal immigration.