Will wrote this a decade ago. It's instructive to look at this in light of his recent departure from the GOP.
Conservatives should want, as the president proposes, a guest worker program to supply what the U.S. economy demands -- immigrant labor for entry-level jobs. Conservatives should favor a policy of encouraging unlimited immigration by educated people with math, engineering, technology or science skills that America's education system is not sufficiently supplying.
And conservatives should favor reducing illegality by putting illegal immigrants on a path out of society's crevices and into citizenship by paying fines and back taxes and learning English. Faux conservatives absurdly call this price tag on legal status "amnesty." Actually, it would prevent the emergence of a sullen, simmering subculture of the permanently marginalized, akin to the Arab ghettos in France. The House-passed bill, making it a felony to be in the country illegally, would make 11 million people permanently ineligible for legal status. To what end?
George Will claimed that calling amnesty "amnesty" is something faux conservatives do. That it's absurd to view granting legal status to illegal migrants as amnesty even though that is the literal meaning of the term.
And I won't even waste time on the "pin a green card to them" talking point.
As it turned out, real conservatives opposed the idea of marginalizing Americans and, for that matter, eliminating the GOP, through Will's proposed program. Whatever you make of this election, amnesty candidates lost decisively to anti-amnesty candidates. The contest ultimately came down to two candidates who both opposed Will's program. So it's no wonder that he's leaving.
On President Barack Obama‘s possible executive action on immigration policy, conservative columnistGeorge Will likes the ends but finds the means “execrable.”
Speaking with Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace, Will indicated that he finds Obama’s immigration aims to be worthwhile: Protection of immigrants currently in the U.S., distribution of work permits, and enforcement emphasis on criminals.
During the border crossing crisis, George Will said that we should be saying, "Welcome to America".
Now he might as well hear, "Welcome to the Democratic Party."