We need workable, long-term immigration solutions; mass deportation is not the answer

The United States faces a big problem — an immigration problem.

While southern communities near the border in California, Arizona, and Texas bear the burden of the problem, it affects us all. A porous border poses real national security threats, immigration backlogs have clogged our judicial system and law enforcement agencies, and increased illegal immigration has strained our medical, social service, and education systems.

Illegal immigration is also blatantly unfair to the millions of hard-working immigrants who came to the United States legally and now call California home.

However, the mass deportation of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in our country is not a realistic solution. Fixing the immigration issue is more complex.

Right now, the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency is severely understaffed. The agency is failing to hire border patrol agents fast enough to replace thousands of soon-to-be retirees.

Without adequate staffing and infrastructure to handle the influx of immigrants, Border Patrol agents often pass the problem off to local governments. Most recently, border patrol dropped off more than 42,000 people on San Diego county streets from September through November of last year, leaving the local government and community groups scrambling.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is understaffed, leading to massive backlogs that keep good people who are trying to become citizens lawfully waiting for years. Our nation’s 70 federal immigration courts are paralyzed by overcapacity. Immigration cases take years to resolve, leading most immigrants to just disappear into the background and live their lives with the insecurity of lacking legal status.

As a United States Senator, I will take a comprehensive approach to resolving our country’s immigration issues. But “mass deportation now” as some use as a rallying cry, is not realistic in any way.

First, it starts with securing the border. Fully staffing the border patrol and investing in the technology needed to identify illegal crossings and intervene. We must reinstate “remain in Mexico” policies and temporarily close the border— full stop, not just when 2,500 identified individuals cross in a day.

Enhanced border security is crucial for our national security to prevent the entry of individuals who may engage in criminal activities, like human trafficking, drug smuggling, or terrorism. Keeping criminals from entering the country at the border and getting a handle on the chaos of unfettered illegal crossings, will help ensure we can reasonably manage the immigration process for those already here.

Once the border is secure, I will support policies that prioritize the processing of family-based green card applications, especially those involving spouses, parents, and minor children.

34.7 million green card applications were pending at the start of this year. It is estimated that as little as 3 percent of people who submitted green card applications will receive permanent citizenship this fiscal year. Additionally, more than 1.8 million individuals await their employment-based green cards ? these are people who want to work and be active, participating members of our economy.

While the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services grants lawful permanent residence to an average of 2,300 people per day and welcomes about 3,400 new citizens at naturalization ceremonies daily, they need the staff, resources, and technology upgrades to move faster.

As your United States Senator, I will advocate for reforms to streamline the path to citizenship and reduce wait times for those seeking legal entry. Citizenship and Immigration Services must be given the tools they need to process applications quickly and reward those who are seeking legal entry.

Securing the border and making it easier for good actors to come here, are two sides of the same coin. You can’t solve this issue with only one or the other.

When I played baseball for the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers, I shared the dugout with teammates from across the world. We learned so much from each other, and I truly value the cross-cultural friendships I developed. But if it were not for the United States immigration policies, these teammates would never have been able to share the bench with me and build a new life in this country.

It is time to get serious about solutions to the immigration issue that allows for the compassionate acceptance of those who want to come here legally, while also protecting the security of our nation.

(*) Steve Garvey is a U.S. Senate candidate and a former Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres All-Star.