William McKenzie: Charting a new immigration course

WASHINGTON – Unless you follow immigration politics closely, chances are you've never heard of Frank Sharry. And he would like to keep it that way, as he believes the debate has nothing to do with him. It's instead about the larger issue of failed immigration policies.

That said, every place you turn in this contentious debate, you'll find the energetic 51-year-old reformer behind the scenes, working friendlies and hostiles alike to find a way forward.

What a contrast to the echo chamber that immigrant bashers live in on the right or the unreal world that labor unions and immigrant-rights activists inhabit on the left. Here's a guy steeped in Massachusetts politics, where he got his start resettling refugees and where he formed a friendship with classic blue-stater Ted Kennedy.

Now the dark-haired, Andy Garcia-looking activist is working in Washington, D.C., with both Kennedy and red-staters from the Bush White House on a new immigration course.

One that recognizes this nation can't deport 12 million illegal immigrants. One that understands we can't stop illegal immigration without a guest-worker program. And, yes, one that recognizes we can't contain the flow without ample security and a fail-safe worker ID card.

Those last two points don't put Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, in good standing with his friends from the left.

The notion of a guest-worker program drives some labor leaders nuts. They hate thinking of foreign workers competing with our labor market. The idea that the government should capture immigrants sneaking in illegally or bust them at their workplaces seems off the radar of immigrant-rights activists. They consider it inhumane.

But those elements are part of putting a package together that satisfies all sides of the immigration debate.

Which is why I'm writing about Frank Sharry. Yes, his side lost this year when the Senate cold-cocked immigration reform. (And, for the record, his side is my side.) But winning and losing aren't the only point here.

I've spent part of this year focusing on people who work with those of opposing views because they believe in the national good. Frank Sharry did that in spades. And he did it when it cost him, and that's what makes his work impressive.

Over lunch recently at a Union Station restaurant, the incurable storyteller told of meeting with his Senate ally, Kennedy, who informed him that a proposal from the right had to go in this year's immigration bill. After months of compromise, Sharry knew his coalition of immigration advocates, clergy leaders, labor officials and business groups would not like giving on yet another conservative request.

"Senator," he said, "do you know my folks are going to kick the (expletive) out of me when I tell them this is now in the bill?" Kennedy, the legislative lion, simply smiled a smile that said, "Welcome to my world, Frank."

And off these two Democrats went to explain to their troops why the conservatives' request had to be included.

That's leadership. And, by the way, President Bush and Kennedy showed it, too. They kept working at a deal, even though members of their parties were ready to ditch them.

If you've followed this debate, you're probably familiar with their roles. Sharry, probably less so.

With comprehensive talk silenced for now, he's not stopping. Those who want border and workplace enforcement first – and perhaps only – certainly have the momentum, but Sharry forges on, if he's a bit more subdued these days.

Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina and GOP Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado have a new bill that would get tough on employers for hiring illegal immigrants. It also would magnify our presence along the border. Some Democrats want to shift to this course to protect their more conservative members on the 2008 ballot.

Sharry knows this debate can't stop there (the same thing Texas GOP Sen. Kay Hutchison told me this month).

If Democrats can get some Republican support, he wants them to consider a bill that would penalize employers and further secure the border, while also backing off giving illegal immigrants living here a long pathway to citizenship.

Instead, they would get some kind of provisional card. After a few years, a commission would review whether this approach works. Only then would Congress go forward with a plan that allows in a set number of guest workers each year.

I don't know if this will move us closer to a step-by-step reform, but at least Sharry is trying. It's good to know people like him still exist in Washington. From time to time, we need to remind ourselves that this city is made up of more than hyper-partisans.

About the writer:

• William McKenzie is an editorial columnist for The Dallas Morning News. Readers may write to him at the Dallas Morning News, Communications Center, Dallas, Texas 75265; e-mail: wmckenzie@dallasnews.com Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.