The Issues: Immigration

For more than a decade, Congress has been unable to tackle the complex challenge of immigration reform. It isn’t getting any easier.

Republicans and Democrats continue to disagree on a so-called “path to citizenship” for the estimated 12 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally, as well as the best approach to securing the border and other issues.

President Barack Obama said he would make immigration reform a priority in his first term, but he never came close to getting comprehensive reform legislation through Congress. Former President George W. Bush also failed to attain a comprehensive immigration reform bill.

U.S. Border Patrol agents look for illegal border crossers near Sunland Park last year.

Advocates of reform hope that whoever is elected to the White House in November will make the politically thorny subject a priority.

The Journal recently spoke with U.S. Senate candidates Martin Heinrich and Heather Wilson about what they would propose, if elected, to help secure America’s borders and improve its immigration laws.
— This article appeared on page A1 of the Albuquerque Journal

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