It's also regrettable, because one of its presumably unintended effects is to stigmatize an entire group of people. They're trying to raise a serious issue, but at times they run the unacceptable risk of making one group the scapegoat for public resentment over growth. Besides, immigration isn't merely a negative story about the impact of growth. It's also a positive story about the economic and social dynamism that new arrivals bring to this country. Many native-born Americans aren't willing to do what these men and women do to establish themselves in a new country.
Immigrants are a foundation of the American workforce.
Lamm and Tancredo are right to insist that this country needs a vigorous public debate over immigration, but they've chosen the wrong debate. The more pressing issue is illegal immigration, which President Bush tried to address when he proposed new programs to include amnesty for millions of illegal Mexican workers. The Bush proposal needs a thorough airing and a few second thoughts. But give the president credit for raising the right issue and launching the right conversation. There may be a case for additional restrictions on legal immigration, but Dick Lamm and Tom Tancredo have gone overboard in proposing a five-year moratorium.