The Real Immigration Debate

“The mass-deportation fantasies of some restrictionists notwithstanding, the great majority of ‘illegals’ are here to stay.” The New Yorker draws the borderlines of the real immigration debate. “The problem of illegal immigration isn’t a matter of violent criminals storming the walls of our peaceful towns and cities. It’s a matter of what to do about the estimated eleven million unauthorized residents who are already here,” says William Finnegan. “Given the emotions that the topic arouses, the battle to pass immigration reform may end up making the struggle over health care look mild. It is time, nonetheless, to try to finally bring millions of men, women, and children in from the dark.”