"The [Council on Foreign Relations] 160-page report was produced by a committee co-chaired by former Gov. Jeb Bush and former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Thomas ``Mack'' McLarty. It states that, 'If the United States continues to mishandle its immigration policy, it will damage one of the vital underpinnings of American prosperity and security, and could condemn the country to a long, slow decline in its status in the world.'
Too dire? Not at all. We are a nation of immigrants, skilled and unskilled, and must remain one to stay strong and productive.
Skilled, educated immigrants expand the envelope of the economy. The current immigration system, however, does not make it easy for them.
Furthermore, there is a direct correlation between the influx of unskilled foreign workers and the well-being of the economy, particularly with demographic trends showing an aging America. The absence of foreign workers would require the government to encourage Americans to take unskilled jobs. Is that what Americans want?"
"The nation's police chiefs -- including Miami Chief John Timoney -- are fully behind the effort to overhaul immigration policy. For good reason. Dealing with immigration, which should remain a federal enforcement issue, is a distraction from the priority of catching violent criminals and stopping terrorism. Local police need the trust of immigrant communities to fight real crime."
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