Nearly everyone along the ideological continuum agrees that the U.S. has an immigration policy, but nobody has any realistic proposal to solve it. 

Despite years of haggling over ideas by various administrations and both political parties in Congress, there is no answer that is amenable to all.

Activists on both sides need to accept the truth that only incremental steps will produce something that is possible.  This first agreement will allow us to begin to forge a policy that moves us toward the goal that we all claim we share—secure borders and legal entry into the United States.

The NY Times details the now too common arguments that are cliches and get us nowhere.

America has always been an immigrant nation.  And today our population of 334 million ranks third only after China and India.

Any efforts to deter illegal immigration will ultimately only slow the speed of border crossings.  Whatever measures we take won’t stop people fleeing a variety of hardships ranging from poverty to persecution in their home countries.  And the United States will remain the beacon of hope that promises a better life as in the words of “The New Colossus” at the Statue of Liberty.  The goal must be how to slow and manage the uncontainable flow not to stop it.

Even more daunting than developing a consensus for immigration reform, is the challenge of cooling negative rhetoric designed to worsen our ideological divisions rather than heal them.

Sanctuary city activists butt heads with proponents who want asylum seekers detained in Mexico.  Those who believe that ankle bracelets and traceable cellphones will track illegal aliens are deluding themselves.  Many such immigrants will slip free the electronic shackles, toss their cellphones in favor of burner ones. 

The worst reality is that none of our elected officials is serious about honest, equitable immigration.  As we start this next presidential election cycle, it is all about stirring the pot, arousing partisan fever, and encouraging voters to take their respective anger to the voting booth to assure that politicians remain in office.

It is the America we live in today.  And it’s disgraceful.