Cynthia Tucker: We really need immigration now

This writer makes a good case for legalizing the immigrants here illegally. They are needed and will help the economy improve. - - Donna Poisl

By Cynthia Tucker

If you've spent any time pondering those dense reports on cutting the deficit, you know that there aren't any pain-free answers around. Any remedy will hurt, since it will have to include raising taxes and reducing benefits.

But there is a palliative that would ease the pain: Put 11 million illegal immigrants on a path to legalization. And don't touch birthright citizenship.

Yes, you heard that right: Granting legal residency to illegal immigrants will eventually help sop up some of the federal budget's red ink. I know that's counterintuitive, since so many citizens have come to believe that Mexican landscapers and Guatemalan maids are a drain on the treasury. But the fact is that their relative youth is just what the U.S. economy needs.
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