>> PEGGY PICO: A bipartisan is vote in the Senate on Monday pushed the Immigration Reform
Bill forward and approved a costly amendment for increased boarder security.
Here with details about the amendment and its impact on the bill's approval in the house
is USD political science professor, David Shirk, welcome.
>>> Thanks for having me.
>> PEGGY PICO: Remind us of the top controversial issues in the bill.
>>> The bill seeks to achieve essentially four things, one is to reduce the backlog
in immigration applications to the United States to get people moving in more efficiently
and second to strengthen border security to prevent unwanted, undocumented flows into
the country and three is to begin to establish a path to citizenship for people who are here
illegally, roughly 11 million people who are undocumented and lastly, workplace enforcement
to make sure that we are properly enforcing our immigration laws within the United States.
>> PEGGY PICO: So far the pathway to amnesty and border security seems to be getting a
lot of attention right now but let me talk about the Senate approval of the bill of 1200
pages of an amendment called the border surge that calls for 20,000 more border patrol agents
doubling the force and 700 miles of additional border fence at a total cost of $38 billion.
Is this necessary?
>> Well, many people believe that the border is out of control even though in the last
20 years we have allocated 20,000 border patrol agents to help sustain our immigration enforcement.
My view is that it is� we don't know if it's necessary if the Immigration Reform effective
redirects those flows of undocumented people into legal channels but it does seem like
it's a politically necessary step in order to get everyone on board and if that's the
case it may be a good compromise.
>> PEGGY PICO: Well, it does seem to be putting the CART before the horse slightly but I heard
Juan Vargus say this is attached to the bill and you might have to swallow it if you want
the bill to go through.
I've read that immigration is at a 40year low.
What does that say to you?
>> It tells us, first of all, that the factors that drive immigration and undocumented immigration
are economic and we're at a 40year low in our economy.
We don't know if, as our economy improves we will see more people coming back to the
United States from Mexico.
Mexico's economy has been doing fairly well.
It does� it's not clear that border security is the reason why we have seen this 40year
low.
>> PEGGY PICO: Let's talk about the amendment more.
It passed in the Senate but didn't reach the 70 votes.
Tell us why those are important and how that might influence how the the house votes.
>>> For a couple of reasons, you want to show broad support within the Senate and two, you
want to make sure you can beat a Philly buster� fillibuster if necessary, and while it's not
clear that the bill is going to make it out of the Senate, and it's not clear that the
house will ultimately back the Senate's bill or even a similar version of that bill.
>> PEGGY PICO: A Gallup Poll this month reported that 87% support the pathway to citizenship
in this bill.
Would that overwhelming public support be enough to push both the house and the Senate
to pass this?
>> I think the American people believe being a citizen and a stake holder in our society
is important and that's clear from that poll, but people are also very divided.
They're concerned about things like border security and depending on how you ask the
question, they may be more or less comfortable with a specific type of legislation.
That said, I think that it's very clear that this is a problem that has gone on far too
long, many want to see action now, and this is probably the best moment we have seen in
two decades for serious immigration reform.
>> PEGGY PICO: If the Immigration Reform Bill passes, the the Senate, the house passes it,
the president signs t how will it impact immigrants in San Diego?
>> Immigrants would finally move out of the shadows and be able to go to apply for a job,
they would be able to go to schools, et�cetera, and they would essentially be able to live
like ordinary people in the United States and in the long run I think that's a good
thing >> PEGGY PICO: Political science professor,
David Shirk, thanks for the update.
>>> Thank you.