Why The Democrats Should Support Immigration Enforcement

"A few years ago, I was invited to attend a dinner party in Washington, D.C. Present at the dinner were several prominent journalists, think-tank heads, and politicians, including one who is likely to run for President of the United States in 2008. Not surprisingly, given the policy orientation of the dinner guests, the conversation quickly turned to the pressing matters of the day, specifically globalization's contribution to rising economic inequality. Largely liberal, the dinner guests all expressed grave concern over the growing gap between rich and poor in the nation. But few offered any real solutions," writes Brad Carson, formerly a Democratic Congressman. "Reflecting on that evening, I was struck by the fact that no one at the party brought up illegal immigration, which is of course one form of globalization, and its lamentable effect on income distribution . . . For Democrats, fighting illegal immigration would not only be good policy, but would have the welcome effect of being good politics, too. Democrats' major political obstacle is the increasingly intractable opposition of the non-union working and middle class, exactly the groups who most fervently oppose illegal immigration."

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