Immigration reform: It's for families

Amid the complex, fractious debate over immigration lies a simple, unifying truth shared by most Americans: The safety and welfare of children is served best within family.

We need not seek to blame political leaders of either party for the fact that millions of immigrant children in this country are sundered from family. The recent presidential order is an important step toward temporarily alleviating that tragedy. Next, however, permanent, bipartisan legislation that finally addresses all aspects of our broken system must be made a priority in 2015.

The recent orders will expand temporary protections given in June 2012 to approximately 1 million DREAMers — children brought to the United States, often as infants or toddlers, who have grown up here and have become American in all senses except their immigration status. These children and young adults are an essential part of America's and Minnesota's future.

Protection from deportation and a government-issued work authorization card will be provided to two main groups of people for three years, if they have a clean record, pay all fees and can prove they have been in the United States since before Jan. 1, 2010:

• Four million individuals who are parents of a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident child.

• 300,000 additional DREAMers who were excluded in 2012 because they were older than 30 or had arrived after 2007.

This action is based on well-established history of prosecutorial discretion to define priorities (and nonpriorities) for deportation. It is another important step to protect U.S.-born children whose parent or parents are among the 11.5 million living in this country without status. Today, the average length of time an undocumented person has lived in the United States is an amazing 13 years.

The orders protect the integrity of families and prioritize our limited enforcement focus on known threats. They will also stabilize the futures of millions of U.S.-born children whose futures depend on their parents and on how we as a country ultimately decide to treat their families.

Those who qualify will have to affirmatively apply to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to receive a three-year work authorization card; obtain a Social Security card; pay past taxes; pay a fee; pass multiple security and background checks, and provide clear evidence of at least five years of continuous residence in the United States. A birth certificate must be submitted for a qualifying child.

Qualifying will not lead to a green card nor make one eligible for public benefits or any subsidies under the Affordable Care Act or MNsure.

Minnesota and other states should provide eligibility for a driver's license for qualifiers. The ability to work and drive and not be threatened with deportation are basic protections. But from a family's perspective, nothing could touch the bedrock of the most important security — the assurance to a child that her mom and dad will not be deported, but rather that they will come home from work each day.

The answer is clear. We must continue to push Washington to provide legislation to fix our broken system. And we must make sure all those who are eligible for temporary protection receive the necessary legal assistance to qualify as soon as possible. We are grateful that Minnesota has a strong history of coming together to solve problems, often through the support of some of the nation's leading nonprofit organizations. Our state's largest provider of immigration legal and advocacy services for the low-income is the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM). Last year, it assisted over 4,500 immigrant clients from 98 countries. This statewide resource is uniquely trusted by immigrants from all over the world.

Garrison Keillor's recent performance of an Ann Reed song inspires our resolve to support positive changes to our immigration system. An excerpt: "There's some people fighting their way through this world all alone / To care for their families they made our country their home / If I punish the farmhand, the maid who cleans the hotel / I've lost my compassion and mercy as well as myself."