A suggestion for bipartisan immigration initiative.

Many Democrats and Republicans disagree on how to resolve several key immigration issues, e.g.:

• Should a pathway to citizenship be provided to the millions of currently unauthorized U.S. residents, who entered the country unlawfully or have remained here unlawfully?
• Should would-be asylees be required to wait outside the U.S. for judicial rulings on their cases?
• Should unaccompanied minors be welcomed into the U.S., housed, fed, and clothed in government facilities, and eventually released inside the U.S.?

Although Dems and Reps tend to disagree on these and other immigration-related matters, perhaps it’s possible for both parties to agree on one aspect of immigration policy that will lessen the incentive and therefore the surge of would-be immigrants at the border. How might this be accomplished? By temporarily setting aside those issues we disagree on and taking action in concert to limit the magnitude of what could otherwise be a future, unchecked flood of would-be immigrants seeking to enter and remain in the U.S. by any means possible.

A bipartisan bill could be designed to distinguish between A) those who have lived in the U.S. unlawfully for years now, and B) those who have just arrived unlawfully, or who are on their way here, or who are contemplating trying to entry the country without authorization. Can we agree that while we need to find a resolution for those already here without authorization, we can and should take action to curtail future unlawful entry and to deter mass runs on the border?

Such a bill might state that those who enter the country unlawfully after some recent date, such as December 31, 2020, will, under no circumstances, be considered eligible for legal status in the U.S. as long as they remain in the U.S. The point of such legislation would be to put an end to people entering or remaining in the country illegally in the hope that their status will eventually be legalized.