With border crossings at their lowest level in decades and stories coming in from around the country of immigrants being justly — and unjustly — detained, the latest edition of The Ripon Forum examines the federal effort to strengthen border security in the United States, and why the American people believe the government should be both tough and compassionate in its approach.
“Since 2022, public opinion has decisively shifted in favor of tougher enforcement,” writes veteran political strategist Leslie Sanchez in the cover essay for this latest edition. “Yet support for a compassionate resolution for long-term undocumented residents also remains intact. This dual result — favoring law and order with a pragmatic eye toward reform — reflects not only national sentiment, but also kitchen-table concerns, particularly among the many working-class Latino voters who crossed over to back Trump.”
Sanchez — who served as director of the White House Initiative on Hispanic Education under former President George W. Bush — counsels Republicans in Congress to lead with security in their push for immigration reform, but advises them to avoid overreaching, as well. “Americans support enforcement — not extremism,” Sanchez writes. “Proposals like cutting funding to sanctuary cities or freezing all grants of asylum have less support. Policies rooted in justice, not merely punishment, are more politically sustainable.”
One Republican who is trying to strike that balance is Pete Stauber. Stauber represents the 8th District of Minnesota in the U.S. House. A former police officer, he is a member of the Northern Border Caucus, where he is working to shore up security along the 5,525 mile border between the United States and Canada. “America was built on legal immigration,” Stauber states in a conversation with the Forum. “There is a legal way to enter our country, and we invite people that want to live, work, play, and recreate in the United States of America and raise families. But there’s a legal way to do it. You do not enter illegally. You will be removed.”
In another essay examining the issue of immigration in the United States, Stan Veuger of the American Enterprise Institute shines a light on the President’s proposal to establish a golden visa for high wealth immigrants and concludes it will likely not bring in the amount of revenue the President hopes. Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies looks at the fact that there are now more individuals who were born in a foreign country living in America than ever before and the economic impact that is having on our country. Daniel Di Martino of the Manhattan Institute examines the history of sanctuary jurisdictions in the U.S., and the cost these jurisdictions are placing on America, both economically and in terms of public safety. In a debate over another newly contentious element of U.S. immigration policy, Michael Fix of the Migration Policy Institute argues that birthright citizenship is a right enshrined in the Constitution that should be maintained, while Edward J. Erler of the Claremont Institute makes the case that this right is not enshrined in the Constitution and should be abolished.
In an essay focused on what young people are being taught in schools, Louise Dubè and Shawn Healy of iCivics write about the importance of civics education in the United States and why it will help strengthen our democracy at a time when our democratic principles are being challenged as never before. In another essay focused on how young people are being taught, Neal McCluskey of the Cato Institute explains why it is time to reduce the federal role and return responsibility over education to the states.
And in the latest Ripon Profile, Lisa Demuth discusses her new job as Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives and how she plans to confront the fiscal challenges facing her state.
As always, we hope you enjoy this edition of The Ripon Forum, and encourage you to contact us with any questions or comments you may have.
Lou Zickar
Editor of The Ripon Forum
louzickar@riponsociety.org