Amid unrest in Minneapolis and organized resistance to federal immigration enforcement elsewhere, many Americans believe that something has to change. I can’t disagree, but the substance of any potential solution matters a great deal. This tense and volatile moment has furnished some politicians with their latest excuse to call for so-called “comprehensive” immigration reform, which critics deride and reject as “amnesty.”

For a long time, I could have been reasonably accused of being a conservative squish on immigration. I always prioritized enforcement, but also publicly expressed an openness to measures like the DREAM Act, which provides a path to legal status for millions of otherwise law-abiding illegal immigrants.