Rand Paul Immigration Reform Plan Offers Yet Another Alternative for Congress to Consider

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is the latest in the long line of Republicans to take a sharp turn to the left on immigration reform.

The Tea Party darling, son of former Texas Congressman and libertarian icon Ron Paul, gave a speech to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce supporting a path to citizenship for nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country, though he avoided using the term citizenship, which is still anathema to many conservatives.

"I think the conversation needs to start by acknowledging we aren't going to deport 12 million illegal immigrants. If you wish to work, if you wish to live and work in America, then we will find a place for you," Paul said, in an 18 minute speech on Tuesday.

While Paul ruled out deportation (a term which seems to include last year's Republican Party platform advocated "self-deportation -- making life so miserable and untenable for the undocumented that they have no choice but to return to their countries of origin), the proposal he laid out differs from the bill being created by the "Gang of Eight," the bipartisan Senate group closing in on a comprehensive immigration reform bill. Paul is not a member of the group.

The Senate bill makes immigration reform and a path to citizenship contingent on increased border security. Paul goes a step further, requiring a congressional vote to certify that the border is secure enough before visas applications can begin.

"The first part of my plan -- border security -- must be certified by the Border Patrol and an investigator general and then -- a little different than the bipartisan plan, I think -- it needs to come back to Congress and be voted on each year for several years. It's been the big complaint of conservatives that when we normalized people back in 1986, we never got a good border and we got 11 million new people," Paul said.

His plan would legalize the status of perhaps 2 million people per year, meaning many people would need to wait over five years before being granted the right to live and work in the country legally.

True to his libertarian leanings, Paul also said he opposes the Senate's proposal to require businesses to verify the immigration status of job applicants. The Senate plan would deploy E-Verify, an employment verification database, nationally, though the program is expensive and has come under fire from civil liberties groups. Business leaders, as well, have no desire to be held responsible for the immigration status of their workers.

That Paul is even on board with immigration reform is a drastic change. In 2009, Paul advocated an underground electric fence on the border to control illegal immigration, a line of thought more unwelcome in the wake of the Republicans' 2012 electoral loss, which saw 71 percent of Latinos vote for their opponent President Obama.

Many influential Republicans are still opposed to "amnesty," or any bill that provides a path to citizenship. In his recent book, Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush said it would reward illegal behavior and encourage more immigration. Idaho Rep. Raul Labrador also expressed concern over legalizing the status of the undocumented in his speech at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference last week.

But they are increasingly in the minority. Even the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, with its bloc of conservative Tea Partiers, is working on an immigration bill similar to the one being developed in the Senate.

The party is beginning to realize they cannot win national elections on a platform that stigmatizes a huge portion of the electorate, especially when that portion is growing quickly. Every serious contender for the 2016 Republican nomination is getting on board with immigration reform, and those that haven't yet, will soon, especially once the Senate puts forth a real bill requiring an up or down vote.

The public will be watching their responses, and the United States is quickly becoming a nation where voters will no longer tolerate the vilification of undocumented immigrants or adherence to a system that keeps them in the shadows of society.

If Rand Paul can change his mind, anyone can.