Throughout the debate over immigration reform, those on both sides of the issue have used a variety of arguments to try and prove their opponents wrong. Many people believe that enabling undocumented immigrants to be put on a path to citizenship rewards lawbreakers and is unfair to those who enter the country legally. However, others think the rules of citizenship need to be overhauled by introducing immigration reform, thereby changing the landscape for US citizens seeking employment.
While few would openly argue that ethnicity and race should be used by either of the major political parties when judging immigrants, there are some representatives in Congress who feel that making use of a more open-minded approach to different backgrounds and cultures would help the cause of immigration reform and enable the legislation to move forward.
Representative Steve Israel, who is head of a committee in the House of Representatives that elects members of the Democratic Party, says there are racial issues within Congress that are affecting the chances for an overhaul of the immigration system, a sentiment shared by Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader. She has previously stated that race is a major factor in the inability of the Republican Party to develop comprehensive and strong immigration laws.
However, some Republicans have also demonstrated support for immigrants, such as former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Senator Rand Paul who has gone on record as saying that there needs to be more diversity in the Republican Party to gain respect from the immigrant community.