Immigration Policy: Obama vs McCain - Essay Example

Immigration Policy: Obama and McCain Immigration policy reform has moved onto the national political agenda in the face of higher unemployment and lowering wages that many Americans blame on the influx of illegal foreign workers. Fairly or unfairly, the immigrants from Mexico and Central America have become the focus of America's immigration problem as the Mexican border becomes the entry point for the vast number of illegal aliens entering the country. Immigration policy has been raised as a political issue for the last several election cycles, but the 2008 election draws some unusual similarities between the vastly different candidates. Obama and McCain are at considerable odds over philosophy of government and the ideology of governing. Yet, their policies towards immigration are surprisingly similar. Both candidates have shifted their policies from the polarizing liberal and conservative stance to a middle of the road approach in hopes of gaining a national consensus. One of the initial problems that needs to be addressed in the immigration issue is how to secure the border. There are additional questions of costs and departmental responsibilities for stopping the flow of illegal entry. Both candidates voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which calls for the construction of 700 miles of fence along the Mexican border (Carter et al.). While both candidates profess securing the border as a priority, McCain is more detailed in his planning. McCain has said that securing the border is the "first and foremost priority" (qtd. in Carter et al.). He has called for the Governors of border states to be the responsible party for certifying that the border is secure (McCain). However, the republican candidate makes no mention of how this would be enforced or what federal legislation would enact this requirement. Both candidates call for increasing the viability of the existing infrastructure as a means to enforce border security. McCain states that he will divert funding to US Attorney's offices, implement Homeland Security software and infrastructure, and deploy unmanned aerial drones to patrol the border (McCain). Obama's policy would "support additional personnel, infrastructure and technology on the border and at our ports of entry" (Obama and Biden 2). Obama and Biden additionally believe that we require "additional Customs and Border Protection agents equipped with better technology and real-time intelligence" (Obama and Biden 2). Neither candidate tells the public the cost of their programs nor how they would be funded. Public policy debates often become polarized on either right wing or left wing interests. In fact, conservatives have been critical of the traditional liberal policy positions on immigration. Newt Gingrich has stated, "The elites on the left oppose border control, oppose English as the official government language, want to find a way to allow everyone here illegally to stay, all while prohibiting illegal immigration in the future". Yet, these remarks made in January 2008 may only be indicative of how far the right has moved towards the center on immigration during this election year. The very positions that Gingrich criticizes are very similar to both the Obama and the McCain stances on these issues. McCain "Supports a path to legalization for illegal immigrants that includes learning English and paying fines" (qtd. in Carter et al.). Obama's policy states that he will "support a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens" (Obama). Both candidates "Co-Sponsored the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act of 2007, which would allow states to give illegal immigrants in-state tuition for higher education and let the homeland security secretary confer legal resident status on some illegal immigrant students" (Carter et al.).Both policies are nearly identical and are in some agreement and some opposition to what Gingrich criticizes as the position of the elite left. Some of the greatest impact, both politically and economically, comes from the level of displaced workers attributed to the illegal immigrants. McCain's policy will "implement temporary worker programs that will reflect the labor needs of the United States in both the high-tech and low skilled sectors while protecting the employment opportunities for US workers" (McCain). Obama concedes that we have "an economy that depends on millions of workers living in the shadows", but makes no specific provisions for temporary visas or guest worker programs (Obama and Biden). Obama and Biden further state that "we must fix the dysfunctional bureaucracy to balance the needs of American workers and the U.S. economy", yet offer no details. McCain's policy calls for ensuring that, "high skilled workers trained and educated in the United States have the opportunity to stay and work in the United States upon graduation" (McCain). Once again, the McCain policy is more explicitly articulated and details the policies intentions on worker's recognition. Another major problem facing the immigration policy is what to do about the illegal aliens already here, verifying background checks, assuring employer compliance, and future tracking of immigrants in employment. McCain's policy calls for "All undocumented individuals will be required to enroll in a program to resolve their status" and identify criminals for deportation (McCain). His policy further states that, "basically you can get a tamper-proof visa after your job has been proven that it cannot be filled by an American citizen" (McCain). Obama has introduced legislation that would "improve the speed and accuracy of these background checks" (Obama and Biden). Both candidates favor a federal documentation and certification program that could aid employers in determining employment eligibility. McCain has a comprehensive policy for implementing a "secure, accurate, and reliable electronic employment verification system to ensure that individuals are screened for work eligibility in a real-time fashion" (McCain). It also calls for federal audits to determine whether or not employers are abusing the system. Obama has said that we need to, "crack down on employers that hire undocumented immigrants", but once again offers few details on the implementation or responsibility for the program (Obama and Biden 2). While both candidates have a similar philosophical and ideological approach to employment and employer activity, McCain's policy is more detailed, while Obama offers little substantive information. The immigration policy of both candidates recognizes the need to respect the family unit of the immigrants. Obama has stated, in regards to families, that there are, "Many of them living their lives alongside other Americans. Their kids are going to school. Many of the kids, in fact, were born in this country and are citizens. And so, it's absolutely vital that we bring those families out of the shadows and that we give them the opportunity to travel a pathway to citizenship" (Carter et al.). McCain's policy simply states that the " program will provide a system that is fair, humane, realistic, and ensures the rights of the individual and families will be protected" (McCain). In addition, McCain's policy will, "Address in an expedited manner the status of individuals brought here illegally as minors through no will or intention of their own" (McCain). However, his policy makes no mention of what the disposition of those cases will be. In conclusion, both candidates have moved their policies toward the center and away from the polarizing politics of extremism. Both candidates favor a secure border. McCain has formed a policy that will give illegals a legal path to citizenship, while Obama has a policy that will mandate the learning of English to qualify for citizenship. Both candidates promote a policy of enforcement of laws against employing illegal aliens, though McCain's policy is more detailed in its implementation. Neither candidate discusses the cost of the program nor how it will be funded. Election year politics often bring issues onto the agenda that are soon forgotten and never require real funding or support. Works Cited Carter, Shan et al. "On the Issues: Immigration." The New York Times 1 Oct. 2008. 2 Oct. 2008 . Gingrich, Newt. "Reform Immigration Policy." American Enterprise Institute. 16 Jan. 2008. AEI. 2 Oct. 2008 . McCain, John. "John McCain on Border Security and Immigration ." McCain.com. 2008. 2 Oct. 2008 . Obama, Barack, and Joe Biden. Barack Obama and Joe Biden on Immigration Policy. Washington, AL: Obama for America, 2008. 2 Oct. 2008 . Obama, Barack. "The Plan for Immigration." Obama Biden. 2008. Obama for America. 2 Oct. 2008 . Read More