It's a myth that immigrants don't pay their way

This piece shows how immigration reform debates will be harsher than the health care debates are now. It also shows why both reforms are necessary for the country. - - Donna Poisl

By Ruben Navarrette, San Diego Union-Tribune

A few months ago, I was talking to a group of political strategists who insisted that - given the Obama administration's desire to pursue both immigration reform and health care reform - immigration should go first. Otherwise, they said, health care would fail because of public fears that illegal immigrants would get free medical services. Make those immigrants legal, they said, and it would defuse the issue.

The point is moot since the administration decided to roll the dice on health care first. But the strategists were right that the immigration debate would find a way to infiltrate the health care debate and damage it.

In fact, as divisive and shrill the health care discussion has been at times, the soon-to-be resurrected immigration debate could be much worse.
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