When will immigration “reform” time come?

It has been interesting to read these days about people who talk about the concept of immigration reform.

For there are many political people who seem to be of the belief that the issue’s “time” has come. Now is when our government officials will finally try to untangle the bureaucratic mess that is our nation’s immigration policy.

ACTUALLY, THE ISSUE’S time has been around for quite a while. It is one of those issues that isn’t going to go away, even though many political people have tried to treat it as such.

But hearing that Vice President Joe Biden is going around saying that Republican-leaning ideologues have experienced an “epiphany” on the issue, and that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is saying that the newly sworn-in Congress should act now on the issue doesn’t comfort me much.

If anything, it makes me wonder if immigration reform is about to become the issue that is always the “next thing” that Congress will get around to addressing – but always managing to get distracted by some other issue that manages to crop up.

Truly professional political people are capable of addressing multiple issues at once. Yet there are times I question the competence of the masses who serve in Congress (and I’m not limiting my criticism exclusively to members of any single political party).

ARE WE REALLY going to get action? Or is this going to be a lot of cheap talk that ends with maintenance of the status quo?

For I am aware of the fact that there are some people who are going to maintain their rigid opposition to serious reform of immigration policies. It really will have to be done over their dead bodies!

Only they’re not going to die, largely because they have constituents back in their home districts who voted them in BECAUSE they want opposition – along with maintenance of policies that keep certain people in the shadows of our society.

As though having people out in the open puts their own existence and niche in our society at risk.

IT’S GOING TO take a political will to publicly oppose these officials – and probably something of a split in the Republican ranks – if there is to be serious reform.

Although I couldn’t help but notice a story published in the Chicago Tribune (and likely most of the other newspapers owned for the time being by Tribune Co.) about the way Republicans voted toward the “fiscal cliff” issue – particularly in the House of Representatives where the GOP controls the process.

It seems the measure there passed largely because northern Republican officials sided with Democratic officials to create a majority that supported the agreement that kept the country going by averting the significant tax hikes that would have been mandated otherwise.

It was the Southern congressmen in the GOP caucus who were the bulk of the vote against the deal – the ones standing up for some principle that would have rather seen the government wrecked and the problems passed on to the masses in our society rather than go along with the president.

I DON’T KNOW if a similar move is possible on immigration reform – although it wouldn’t shock me if the bulk of the opposition did wind up coming from the southern states. Anything is possible!

It’s going to be an ugly political brawl when (and if) the issue finally does come up. Keep in mind that Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee that would have to review any changes to immigration policy.

He’s not a supporter of any serious reform. But he’s going to have to have Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., in his face. Because it seems that El Gallito himself -- one of the loudest talkers on this issue -- has managed to get a House judiciary appointment.

Which means the shouting matches likely to occur as the two sides go head to head on this issue will be intense. If only they could result in positive action moving forward.

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