Immigration Reform and National Security

Despite Mexican President Vicente Fox’s appeal to the U.S. Congress last year for more favorable immigration policies, the issue of immigration reform has been swept under the proverbial rug. The plan proposed to increase the number of visas for Mexican workers and to legalize the status of many previously undocumented workers in the U.S. A year after the plan first reached Washington, issues of national security have taken center-stage and, consequently, sidetracked one of the very legal reforms that could help ensure greater protection. While some yield to post-September 11 suspicions and argue that the plan would pose a greater threat to national security, others claim that it is better for the U.S. to be aware rather than ignorant of who is in the country. – YaleGlobal