Immigration Overload

IT'S SAD BUT perhaps not surprising that so many in the Senate have rushed to attach pork to emergency spending legislation designed to pay for military action in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's a must-pass bill, and so an ideal vehicle. Now, because the House version of the bill contains a host of immigration provisions, it seems that senators may rush to attach their immigration bills and amendments to the legislation too.

As we've written before, the House provisions, known as the Real ID Act, are an unfortunate mishmash of policies, none of which constitutes a solution to the problem of illegal immigration. Instead of tackling the issue head-on, the provisions would make it more difficult for people to seek asylum in this country, even though asylum-seekers represent a tiny proportion of illegal immigrants; prevent states from making their own policies on driver's licenses; and allow the homeland security secretary to waive, at his sole discretion, environmental laws that have hampered the construction of a fence along the southern border near San Diego.

However poorly thought out these provisions are, their presence allows members, under Senate rules, to add their own immigration measures. As of last night the matter was still under discussion, but amendments could include bills governing the status of farm and seasonal workers, altering the current temporary-worker visa system, helping illegal immigrants attend college, and barring immigrants who don't pay child support. Many provisions are on the table, in other words, and some are interesting: As the president has said, the temporary-worker visa system is overdue for an overhaul.

But passing bits and pieces of immigration reform as amendments to other legislation isn't the right way to go about it. From the number and scope of bills on offer, it's clear that a lot of people in both the Senate and the House have thought hard about immigration. They deserve the chance to air those thoughts in public debate. Senate leaders should do their best to persuade members to hold their fire, hold a proper debate and craft a proper bill, taking time to think through the implications.