Reform immigration — now

With Congress prepared to debate on comprehensive immigration reform, the nation's governors have reiterated the urgency to create practical and pragmatic solutions.

A resolution, offered by Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, and approved earlier this week by the Western Governors' Association, calls for immigration reform that protects and preserves the safety and interests of the United States and its citizens while recognizing the Western states' need for a stable and legal supply of workers.

Western governors are perhaps more affected by the issue of illegal immigration than the rest of the states. The WGA stops short of calling for amnesty but it seeks stronger border security, a temporary guest worker program and reimbursement for state and local law enforcement efforts.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, which will consider a handful of proposals, should carefully consider the Western governors' input, which acknowledges the complexity of this issue.

Without question, immigration is a national security issue. It is virtually impossible to stop people from crossing the vast border between Mexico and the United States. But there must be improved enforcement efforts. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., has proposed adding 3,500 border agents and investigators over five years.

Immigration is also an economic issue. The United States agriculture, service and hospitality industries rely heavily on the labors of illegal immigrants. It only make sense to create a visa system that permits laborers to enter the United States legally to work but requires them to leave the country after a prescribed amount of time.

Western governors also recognize that immigration is a human issue. Families are sometimes split when one parent is deported or when a parent enters the United States illegally to work and cannot return home for fear of being caught. As the college tuition debate on Utah's Capitol Hill has demonstrated, the children of illegal aliens who wish to attend college often are caught in the middle — particularly those who were not born here but were brought to the United States as infants.

Although President Bush campaigned on the issue of immigration reform, the issue was shelved after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. It's time for Congress to launch the debate in earnest. The recommendations of the WGA should resonate with the Senate Judiciary as it begins its deliberations.