Reply #23: Graham said that immigration reform is "impossible" until citizens "feel the borders are secure".

[pampango]

"Graham said Congress eventually needs to tackle immigration reform but that it will be "impossible" to achieve reform until citizens in states like Arizona feel that the borders are secure."

That does not indicate to me that he views it as a multifaceted issue that requires comprehensive reform, not just more border security. Anyone who says that we can't do anything until there is more border security can always say "That's not enough, build a bigger wall.... That's not enough, put more troops... That's not enough, build a higher wall"...and so on...and so on...and so on. It means that want to look tough but have no intention of "comprehensive reform" which would include, but not be limited to, more border security.

What I think we should do is consistent with Obama's framework for immigration reform which has been endorsed by the AFL-CIO and Change to Win, as well as the Progressive Caucus. The gist of it is below with more information at the link.

"This approach to immigration reform has five major interconnected pieces: (1) an independent commission to assess and manage future flows, based on labor market shortages that are determined on the basis of actual need; (2) a secure and effective worker authorization mechanism; (3) rational operational control of the border; (4) adjustment of status for the current undocumented population; and (5) improvement, not expansion, of temporary worker programs, limited to temporary or seasonal, not permanent, jobs."

http://www.changetowin.org/for-the-media/press-releases-and-statements/change-to-win-and-afl-cio-unveil-unified-immigration-reform-framework.html

"Joseph T. Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) and chair of the Change to Win Immigration Task Force, and John Sweeney, International President of the AFL-CIO, today unveiled a unified framework for comprehensive immigration reform legislation."

"Sweeney and Hansen also were joined by Eliseo Medina, Executive Vice President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and Arturo Rodriquez, President of the United Farm Workers (UFW) in making the announcement. Both Medina and Rodriguez have been national leaders on immigration reform and played a key role in the formation of the immigration framework."