Election coverage: Candidates find immigration is sticky issue

Second in a series on the issues facing 13th Congressional District Republican candidates Judy Biggert and Sean O'Kane in the Feb. 5 primary.

The national debate about illegal immigration boils down to two numbers: There are more than 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States right now. And there's been more than four years of legislative gridlock trying to decide what to do about
The Republican candidates in Illinois' 13th Congressional District both admit they don't have a magic answer, especially when it comes to the illegal immigrants who are already here. But they do have foundational ideologies for where they'd like to focus the debate.

Closing the borders

Both incumbent Judy Biggert and Republican primary challenger Sean O'Kane agree the illegal immigration debate begins with sealing the borders. Both prefer creating that seal with law enforcement and military personnel rather than fences and walls.

"I don't like the image of a Berlin Wall-type facade along our border," O'Kane said. "But to contain the size of the illegal immigrant population and for national security purposes, we need to know who's coming into our country."

Biggert also believes in closed borders. If borders don't receive priority, Biggert estimates the illegal immigrant population will swell to 20 million before the paperwork for people currently waiting to become citizens is completed.

The major difference in this realm between Biggert and O'Kane is what to do with illegal immigrants caught crossing the borders.

O'Kane favors immediate deportation for illegal immigrants caught while entering the country.

Biggert said that's not enough of a penalty.

"We have to end catch-and-release through mandatory detention," Biggert said.

Biggert doesn't know what the appropriate jail time would be but said it would be nice if there were a way to charge the cost of that time back to the country the illegal immigrant originated.

"We should look at promoting international policies to try and deter the illegal immigration," Biggert said.

Employing illegals

The other side of immigrants coming to the United States illegally is having a reason, which is usually a job.

Both Biggert and O'Kane say Americans must be willing to pay more at the grocery store and for the homes they build. Both want higher wages in the agriculture and construction industries, which employ the most illegal immigrants. They believe Americans will fill the jobs illegal immigrants take if the pay is higher. A higher cost of business will trickle down to consumers.

"I do worry about when farmers can't pick the fruit and you see the oranges left on the trees," Biggert said. "We have to raise the bar to make sure they have legals filling those jobs. Illegals won't stay here if they can't get jobs."

O'Kane said America must also abandon any negative perceptions of citizens who work or train in a trade rather than go to college.

"There tends to be a network for immigrants to get into the trades a little more," O'Kane said. "If somebody likes to work with their hands, we should assist them to help them get the skills they need to enter the work force and be productive in that fashion."

Both candidates believe companies, especially large corporations, need fast, accurate technology available to them for mandatory identification checks of a potential employee's citizenship status. Both Biggert and O'Kane believe employers who hire illegal immigrants should be punished with stiff fines, but not jail time.

"You've got to have a penalty, or what difference does it make?" Biggert said. She suggested fines as large as $250,000 may be appropriate.

The amnesty dilemma

Neither Biggert, nor O'Kane has a definitive action plan for what to do about the illegal immigrants already in the country. Both believe any plan must involve the enforcement of laws already on the books. That includes deporting all illegal immigrants who come into contact with the justice system for commission of a felony.

Both also believe any path to citizenship would start at the bottom of the list, behind people who are already in the process of trying to legally enter the country. Biggert and O'Kane agree all immigrants must be required to display at least a basic proficiency in English to become a citizen.

O'Kane also said there should be no concessions to illegal immigrants in the form of giving them identification cards or driver's licenses.

However, neither he nor Biggert believes in raiding neighborhoods or businesses for deportation roundups.

"That makes me think of the Gestapo," Biggert said. "I hate to think of this huge mass attacking a neighborhood. That bothers me. I also hate to see people hiding. However, their presence does abuse our social services."

O'Kane said deporting 12 million people isn't even possible.

"It's completely ridiculous to think that we're going to go around and physically round up everyone who's illegal," O'Kane said. "It would send the completely wrong message. It would be kind of a stain on our national image. We want people to come to our country, but we want them to come here legally."