Immigration

There is no short-term fix to our immigration problems, but a broad solution must certainly address all of our borders uniformly and not vary by geography. Existing illegal immigrants who are employed should have a pathway to obtain legal status, and a "guest-worker" program to provide legal seasonal labor for our agricultural industry is part of the solution. We need to start a long-term effort to discourage illegal immigration and reward legal immigrants, along with negotiating with the originating nations formal agreements to keep their populations at home. Absolutely intertwined is the issue of population growth in the developing world, with which we must come to grips.

The nation should monitor closely how well ideas such as the new Arizona immigration plan work, and be prepared to adopt successful programs nationwide.