The Lincoln Club of Orange County broke with much of the Republican establishment today in announcing an immigration-reform proposal that would provide a path to legal residency for illegal immigrants.
Most of the Republican presidential field and many congressional Republicans have said the border must be better secured before addressing those now in the country illegally. Many grassroots Republican activists denounce any talk of legalizing illegal immigrants.
But with the Latino vote growing and many Latinos turned off by the GOP’s hardline on illegal immigration, the Lincoln Club wants to build a political bridge.
“Our hope is that this provides a starting point for Republicans and Latinos to find common ground on immigration solutions that respect the rule of law, secure our borders, and afford future immigrants and those who are already here a fair pathway to legal residency,” said Lincoln Club President Robert Loewen.
Some in the respected, 40-year-old group of GOP business people went so far as to blame Democrats for not reforming the system. Despite statements from President Barack Obama and many Democrats about the need for immigration reform, many Latinos have been leveling the same complaint against the Administration and Congress.
“Democrats who were in control of Congress for two years under President Obama did nothing to reform our broken immigration system, except to deport more than a million illegal immigrants,” Teresa Hernandez, chairwoman of the Lincoln Club’s Immigration Reform Subcommittee. “Republicans have an opportunity to be leaders on this issue by replacing our antiquated, quota-driven immigration system with a 21st century one that embraces the free-market demand for jobs.”
The Lincoln Club’s three-point plan calls for:
- Increasing border security.
- “Creating a guest worker program that allows both foreign workers and illegal immigrants already here to apply for temporary work permits, provided they pay certain fees and meet certain requirements such as proof of employment and passing a criminal background check.”
- More help for employers in identifying legal workers.
Read more details of the plan in the Lincoln Club’s policy statement.
Read a Register special report on the dilemma Republicans face with Latino voters.
