Commentary: Don’t hold your breath, but as raids stifle economy, Trump proves case for immigration reform

When I wrote about how Immigration raid Workers are targeting far more than criminals and hitting California’s economy at the expense of us all, and I’m surprised by the number of readers who wrote to me that it’s time for immigration reform.

The cynic inside me reacted immediately, essentially, yes.

The bipartisan attempt failed in 2006 and 2014, so there is a great opportunity in this political climate.

But the more I think about it, no one does more to make it clear that we need to rewrite federal immigration laws rather than guessing who.

President Trump.

Raids, the threat of more attacks and the promise to expel 3,000 people a day, are undermining Trump’s economic agenda and undercutting his support among Latinos. Restaurants suffer,,,,, Construction has slowed down and The fruit is rotting On the Vines, the promised repression of violent criminals (which would have had more public support) turned into a ruthless, destructive and expensive elimination.

I won’t bet on Trump or his congressional liar to publicly acknowledge that. But there is Signs that the emperor began to soften The difficult stance on deportation immigrants and student visas has put his magazine in a twitch.

“His heart is not cleared like the hearts of other administrations are embedded in the rest of his administration,” David J. Bier, director of immigration research at the Cato Institute, told the New York Times. Despite the difficult topics, Trump “has always had a special liking for economic demand from a business standpoint.”

Apparently, so are some California Republican lawmakers.

In June, six Republican congressmen led by state Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) A letter to Trump Urge him to ease the raids and start immigration reform.

“The key deportation of deportation”, Martinez Valladares wrote, “And support for legal immigration and visa policies that will build a strong economy that ensures our borders and protects our communities.”

Then in July, California lawmakers led by state Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa) were bipartisan. follow.

Ochoa Bogh urged “to take federal action immediately…issuing expedited work permits to millions of undocumented immigrants who are considered essential workers, such as farm workers who provide critical services. These workers support many industries that keep our country in sustaining, regardless of immigration status.

Ochoa Bogh told me she heard from voters who were farming and hospitality that they complained about the impact of the attack. Her aunt, a citizen, said, “is afraid to go out and carry her passport with her because she was afraid they might stop her.”

The senator said she blamed Democrats and Republicans for years of failure to carry out wise immigration reform.

Her grandfather was a Mexican guest worker for the Bracero program in the 1940s and 1960s, and was eventually sponsored by legal status and eventually moved the entire family north. Since then, children and grandchildren go to school, work, prosper and contribute.

If Trump is going to reply to her letter and visit her area, Ochoa Bogh said: “I will definitely let him visit my family.”

Her relatives include restaurateurs, owners of tailoring, county employees and pastors.

“We don’t want undocumented people in our country. … But we need a work permit process” to meet the needs of employers and workers,” Ochoa Bogh said.

Poll Reflects a similar attitude. The views are mixed together, mainly along the party line, but Pew Research In June, 42% of people approved and 47% disapproved of Trump’s immigration methods.

July Gallup Polls found that generally, support for immigrants is growing, with 85% approving of immigration as a pathway brought by immigrants as minors, and Republicans receive 60% support among Republicans to meet all undocumented legal status.

Therefore, it is not surprising The bipartisan Congress Immigration Reform Act, Florida Republicans and Texas Democrats introduced the Dignity Act of 2025 in July. This will allow legal status for those who have lived in the United States for five years, are working hard and paying taxes and have no criminal record.

Victor Narro, Given the political reality, the program director of the UCLA Labor Center is not optimistic. But he has been advocating immigration reform for decades and said: “We need to continue fighting because there will be an estimated time” and that the United States will “have to rely on immigrant workers to ensure the economy survive.”

“When birth rates drop, Germany must resort to the Guest Workers Program.” Kevin Johnsonformer UC Davis Law Dean. “In the near future, we may beg for workers from other countries.”

“No one side is willing to give another victory, but there must be some way to close the gap,” said Hiroshi Motomura, an immigration scholar at UCLA.Boundaries and belongings: Moving towards a fair immigration policy.

Motormara said, “In fact and politically, there is a possibility of reform”, and he believes that the opportunity for rational dialogue at the local level is better than amid the heat of national debates. “You’re more likely to hear stories from mixed families…and this kind of thing humanizes the situation rather than turning it into many abstract statistics.”

Ochoa Bogh told me that when she wrote to Trump, voters’ feedback included support and criticism. She said she met with critics, who told her that she should focus on the work of citizens rather than providing jobs for undocumented immigrants.

She said she told them that she was all “Americans in American work.” But “we have a shortage of labor in various industries” and the U.S.-born population has not stepped up some work.

“I said to them, ‘When we have to drive some reality, you can’t close your eyes and say that it should be.”

So, what are the opportunities for progress in immigration reform?

It’s not bad at the moment.

But as the readers suggest, a better question is:

why not?

steve.lopez@latimes.com