A *real* immigration plan

I think that the vast majority of Americans would agree that illegal immigration is a big problem and that something desperately needs to be done. Just how big of a problem it is and what should be done about it will differ depending on your location, politics, and even your line of work.

Congress has "tried" to work on this problem in the recent past to no avail. The House will figure something out, then the Senate won't like it, then the Senate will come up with something that the House scoffs at, softies call for amnesty, while hard liners call for mass-deportation. But basically, no one has any practical ideas that have any chance of success and no one seems to be able to compromise.

But U.S. Congressman Mike Pence from the 6th District of Indiana may have a solution. He and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison have authored the Hutchison-Pence No Amnesty Immigration Reform plan. This is a real compromise. It will leave both sides wanting something a little different, but I feel that it could get the job done.

Here are the three main steps:
First - Secure the borders
Second - Good neighbor S.A.F.E. Visa and Ellis Island Centers
Third - Verification and enforcement

The part that I like is that the certification (Ellis Island Centers) will be run by private (i.e.: efficient) businesses. But we shall see. My fear is that congress will get all pansy again and not pursue this before the elections. Maybe they will get to it before the end of the year.