Immigration Deal: Glorious Center or Mushy Middle?

Nativist conservatives are in full foam over the new immigration deal, led by Newt Gingrich [1] announcing on Sean Hannity's radio show that the deal is a "sellout of every conservative principle," presumably because it doesn't round up those who are working to feed their families and contribute to our country's economy.

Meanwhile, immigrant advocates [2] are reserving judgment [3], offering cautious praise while expressing concern that the deal (details of which are still unknown) may divide families and a create a new underclass of temporary laborers that cannot work towards citizenship.

They promise efforts to improve the bill on the Senate floor.

There will certainly be attempts to claim that if there is criticism from the left and right, the deal must be in the glorious center. History proves otherwise.

No Child Left Behind and Medicare's prescription drug program were bipartisan "centrist" compromises that have not addressed problems with education and health care costs.

If the final legislation treats hard-working immigrants as dispensable cheap labor and not human beings with families, then it's bad legislation, no matter who agreed to it.

And one thing's for sure: no matter how good the deal is, it won't do anything to alleviate the economic disparity between America and our neighbors that drives people to leave their homes just to make ends meet.