ND ReSource: The immigration debate is long overdue | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › ND ReSource: The immigration debate is long overdue ND ReSource: The immigration debate is long overdue Published: April 02, 2006 Author: Shannon Roddel As the Senate begins a controversial debate of the biggest overhaul ofU.S.immigration law in two decades, Allert Brown-Gort, associate director of the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame, says its long overdue and the current law is out of touch with reality.So, too, he says, are some of the measures being considered on Capitol Hill. Enforcement-only laws may make good politics, but they make bad economics and even worse policy,Brown-Gort said. President Bush wants a guest worker program that encourages the undocumented to register. The House supports building a fence along the border and increased policing, what Brown-Gort callsa draconian bill that concentrates exclusively on punitive enforcement measures.And Senate measures range from addressing only border security and enforcement to variations of a temporary worker program. We should not try to ignore the facts of our need for immigrants by restricting the number of appropriate visas and by making life miserable for those who are already here without documents,Brown-Gort said.After all, that approach is what got us in this mess in the first place.We need to find a mechanism that allows immigrants to earn legalization while recognizing the contribution they make to this country and the fact that the great majority of their children are Americans. A fellow of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at Notre Dame and a native ofMexico, Brown-Gort formerly served as deputy director of the North American Public Policy Studies Program at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico and headed the Latin American Initiative of the Conservation Education Programs atColumbiaUniversity. Brown-Gort is available for interviews at 574-631-3787 or browngort.1@nd.edu TopicID: 16702 Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn