On Monday, a bipartisan group of eight U.S. senators were all smiles as they unveiled a blueprint for immigration reform. Commentators have been noting that prospects for comprehensive reform are better now than they were when President Bush made several failed attempts in his second term. But one reality has changed that could make things a lot more complicated for the reformers: the passage of Obamacare.
Immigration has long been a divisive issue, not just for the nation as a whole but within the Republican Party and the conservative movement. There’s always been a more libertarian strain of thinking that has favored a less restrictive immigration system. These advocates of smaller government have been forced to wrestle with the challenge of how to maintain a more open immigration system given the existence of a generous welfare state.
